#everyone would like anne to be the queen of scotland

[andreeamq]

Anne the Queen of Scots 🥰🥰🥰 - Daily Record April 27 1990  

[fideidefenswhore]

So I follow Claire Ridgway's Anne Boleyn Files and she has a few interesting alternative videos on what would have happened if Anne Boleyn had given birth to a son and not been executed. I am curious what you think may have happened to Mary had Anne given birth to a son that was acknowledged by everyone as Prince of Wales. Would she have been restored to the Succession or not?

It's hard to say perhaps Henry would have made Mary legitimate again but I can't see him doing that without putting Elizabeth and her new brother's legitimacy in danger. Maybe he would have married her off elsewhere?

Claire thinks the 1553 Crisis probably would have been avoided had Anne's son inherited the throne. I tend to agree with her son on the throne even if that son were to die young the Crown would still pass to Elizabeth. The Lady Jane Grey Coup would have been avoided.

Well, Mary's counsel from the Emperor's representative was to acknowledge Anne as Queen once/if she had a son. She did ultimately follow his counsel in the summer of 1536 when it came to acknowledging the religious supremacy, the legal invalidity of her parents' marriage and her own bastardy (and renouncing any claim to the throne thereby), so one could plausibly assume she would've done the same here. Many Marians insist she would never have done so; I myself don't find that scenario plausible, unless she was already on the other side of England at the point of her continued stance, in one of Charles V's realms and under his protection (as much as France had pushed for her to wed one of their princes, they're unlikely to have risked alienating HVIII by keeping her under theirs [tbf, they did harbor Reginald Pole, but that was years later in a much-changed religious and political landscape/circumstances], as for Scotland, James V had outright refused Chapuys' proposal on the grounds it would alienate HVIII, his close neighbour, and besides, had already acknowledged AB as Queen and Elizabeth as Princess, along with his mother).

I am curious what you think may have happened to Mary had Anne given birth to a son that was acknowledged by everyone as Prince of Wales. Would she have been restored to the Succession or not?

No to the 2nd, and what's been argued in this genre goes even further and more specifically, that had AB had a son in 1533, Mary would not have been disinherited or had her title reduced at all, because there would have been 'no need'. However, the prevalence of this theory underlines a fundamental misunderstanding of English precedent when it came to inheritance and HVIII's own beliefs, which wouldn't have changed but rather been vindicated, had his prince been born in 1533:

"[...] to appreciate Henry’s viewpoint it is first necessary to clarify the nature of his quest. This was certainly not simply to wed Anne Boleyn. Most scholars have concurred with the emphasis given by Elton and Scarisbrick that, whatever the roots of Henry’s ‘Great Matter’, he became unquestionably ‘convinced in his conscience that his marriage to Catherine had been a great sin’ and that his lack of sons was a punishment for this transgression. This reasoning also means that we must take seriously Henry’s worries about a future renewal of civil war, which might best be averted by the birth of a healthy and clearly legitimate baby boy. In earlier marriage negotiations with France and the Empire he had insisted that Mary was heir presumptive; he now argued that she would be barred by illegitimacy. This contention puzzled continental contemporaries because elsewhere in western Europe those children born to couples who in good faith (like Katherine and Henry in 1509) believed themselves validly married were treated as legitimate. Nevertheless, Henry was right. After a period of some uncertainty, by the late fourteenth century England had opted out of the bona fides principle, just as it had famously done in the Statute of Merton from that of legitimation per subsequens matrimonium.

While it is true that the English royal succession was not rigidly constrained by the law of property, nevertheless, as Sir John Baker notes, ‘succession problems were usually debated in legal terms and in accordance with the common law canons of inheritance’. A successful challenge to his marriage would thus automatically bastardise Mary and leave Henry with no direct heir."

- Katherine of Aragon & The Veil, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Vol 66. © Cambridge University Press

What Mary does seem to have been offered in late 1533, was the retaining of her own household, its complete staff, etc, in exchange her acknowledgement of Elizabeth as Princess, her stepmother as Queen, her parents' marriage is invalid, her own title as invalid by extension:

Throughout these years, the king had showed a genuine personal affection for Mary, even if his support for her as his successor was minimal at times. Initially, therefore, he hoped to persuade her to accept the Boleyn marriage despite its inevitable implication of her own disinheritance. Henry determined that the strongest incentive he could offer to secure her acquiescence was the continuation of her household on nearly the same scale it enjoyed prior to Elizabeth's birth. A checkeroll listing of all Mary's household officers and department heads as well as her senior staff carries the date of October 1533, a month after Elizabeth's birth. The list provides a snapshot of Mary's household on the eve before she was to experience considerable loss in status as a result of the imminent reduction of her household. Indeed, the list initially presents something of a puzzle. The king had already announced plans to reduce Mary's household shortly after Elizabeth's birth in September. Yet the list contains exalted names apparently indicating that in October 1533 that Mary's household was still of sufficient status to attract the service and residency of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury and Lady Margaret Douglas (Henry VIII's niece). Did the October list represent a description of Mary's household as it actually existed, or was it instead a fantasy household offered to Mary, via the checkeroll, as an inducement to accept her own disinheritance? There is not enough evidence for a definitive answer. Given the positive comment by the Milanese envoy around this time that Mary's household was appropriate to her (then) status as heir to the throne combined with the rarity of household lists taking the form of fantasy literature and the tradition of compiling such lists for accounting during October, this study proceeds on the assumption that the October list of 1533 was an accurate depiction of Mary's household. Jeri L. McIntosh. From Heads of Household to Heads of State: The Preaccession Households of Mary and Elizabeth Tudor, 1516–1558.

So while McIntosh admits there's 'not enough evidence for a definitive answer', I find her theory highly plausible, as it seems to fit the timeline of events (specifically, late 1533 to early 1534) and adheres to the scholarly understanding of HVIII's character, temperament, and personality of the early 1530s.

There's sense to this offer, as obviously the Duke of Richmond had his own household, but unlike her brother, Mary had been acknowledged as Princess her entire life. So, 'the arrogant presumption of that title' (HVIII's words) is very...things that make you go hmmm.

So it was at his discretion to legitimate her by statute (as Caesaropapism goes, an equivalent to the Pope declaring children of similar dissolved marriages legitimate in good faith, he could have done this), but I don't believe he ever would have. There's some fuzziness here, because this was apparently offered to COA via Campeggio by HVIII circa 1529 and refused (and she seems to have tried to grasp at this previous offer much later, like in 1533), so he must have been willing at some point (unless this was merely an attempted feint of deceit). What seems most plausible is that it was on offer genuinely, but as he further studied the religious and legal scholarship/precedent on the matter and argued for the legitimacy of his beliefs and views in the years to come, he must have come to believe Mary's illegitimacy would inevitably follow the dissolution of her parents' marital union.

It's hard to say perhaps Henry would have made Mary legitimate again but I can't see him doing that without putting Elizabeth and her new brother's legitimacy in danger. Maybe he would have married her off elsewhere?

At most, he might have invested her in some titles by dint of marriage negotiations, this making her more appealing to prospective royal/noble parents wishing to marry their sons (I've seen Duchess of York suggested, which I don't find likely from HVIII, former Duke of York, in particular...it was a title for second sons....I could see some new creation however, maybe Marchioness/Marquess of Exeter, as I believe Gertrude Courtenay lost that title after being attainted, and obviously her husband's was rather more permanently lost).

There was arguably equal danger to marrying her abroad to a prince (the potential to invade) and marrying her in England (proximity eased the possibility for any future coup). However, such qualms could be eased via marriage treaties, and in fact, we know of the marital negotiations for Mary that took place in the late 1530s and throughout the 1540s, that an immoveable caveat HVIII tended to add was that Mary and a future spouse would renounce any claim to the throne of England, in writing (as this was often the appeal for the other party, most, with the exception of the Duke of Bavaria, which was closed for other reasons, ended in stalemate). Tl; dr I'm not really sure her prospects for marriage would've been much better off in any counterfactual where her first stepmother both remained Queen, and had a prince (which is one of the greatest ironies of the, alternately named, Aragonese/ Marian / White Rose faction of 1536...they schemed for the reinstatement and better circumstances of their Princess, which never really eventuated in any significant way [at least, arguably not in much greater luxury or attendance at court than she might've enjoyed in her acceptance of Anne as Queen], as she remained in that joint household with Elizabeth for several years, etc.)

Claire thinks the 1553 Crisis probably would have been avoided had Anne's son inherited the throne. I tend to agree with her son on the throne even if that son were to die young the Crown would still pass to Elizabeth. The Lady Jane Grey Coup would have been avoided.

Well, that's to assume Mary wouldn't have fought for the throne. She never fought for this against her half-brother by another stepmother, but she did signficantly defy him, and she never left England as she planned to do during his reign...which leaves us with a rather open question of how she would have survived once he assumed complete power in his majority and dissolved his regency council. We can never really know counterfactuals, and this one feels way too nebulous to even make any attempt of sketch, tbh. How many supporters would any Boleyn-Tudor prince have had? Elizabeth had a significant party by the time Mary took the throne, and they certainly made enough moves in her favor to unsettle and frighten the regime. Certainly, I cannot envision a Boleyn-Tudor prince revising the succesion to make Jane Grey his heir and disinherting his own sister, especially as Elizabeth would, in this scenario, be considered legitimate more universally (within England, at least).

[what-if-queen-camilla]

Chapter 35

New Year's Day 1996

"Do we really have to do that?", Camilla asked for approximately the tenth time and looked at Charles with puppy eyes. It was half past eight in the morning on New Year's Day, and she felt as if they had just gone to bed about an hour before. It had been a really lovely evening with a heavenly menu, fancy drinks and lots of fun and family games and some great dances. Anne and Tim had shown up yesterday, too, as well as some other good friends of the Queen Mother's so they had been quite a lot in the end and it'd been a great party with lots of fun. But today, the part Camilla had been dreading ever since she had received the invitation was planned to go ahead: She'd have to accompany Charles, his sons and the Queen Mother to New Year's Day Service at Crathie Kirk. Of course, Thea was coming, too, so she had to pull herself together even more as she didn't want her poor little daughter to feel afraid as well but deep inside, she was terrified. It was going to be their first ever public outing as a couple, and also Thea's first appearance, she had no idea how the people would react but after everything she'd been through ever since their affair had first become public, she was frightened as hell. "Yes, darling, we have to, but you don't have to be afraid.", Charles tried to reassure her and tenderly stroked her face. She looked so incredibly beautiful and he couldn't wait to finally show the world that this wonderful woman was his, let alone their sweet daughter who was all his pride and joy. "I'll be by your side all the time and protect you if necessary. But it won't be necessary. I promise you.", he added, taking her face into both of his hands, kissing her passionately which made her chuckle. "Darling… behave yourself!", she admonished him jokingly, but looked at him with eyes full of love. She knew exactly that he was just as nervous as she was and usually she was the one to encourage him, so this was sort of new but she thought that he was doing exceptionally well motivating her. She could only hope and pray that he was right and everything was going to alright.

She had commissioned a new, flatteringly tailored, red coat with a bit of tartan on the collar and sleeves, Rothesay Hunting tartan, as Charles was known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, and she knew that it was one of his favourites. Actually, Fiona had talked her into red, she herself would never have chosen such a vibrant colour as she had always preferred to stay as inconspicuous as possible, but her friend had insisted that she had to get out of her comfort zone and shine for her Prince so eventually, she had given in, but wasn't so sure about it anymore when she stood in front of the mirror in their room. It looked good, without a question, but it was also impossible to overlook her now and the last thing she wanted was to overshadow anyone else. At least she wasn't alone in this, as she had commissioned the same coat for Thea as well and her sweet little darling looked like a real Princess when she came down the stairs together with her great-granny, who was regally (and much to Camilla’s relief way more conspicuously than her) dressed in a vibrantly yellow coat with an extravagant fur collar and a giant, matching hat. She herself had opted for a small fascinator and was more than happy to see that she was definitely not going to outshine the old lady, though it was probably not humanly possible to outshine her at all. The Queen Mother was known for her fancy clothes and despite her age, she was the brightest shining star on every stage anyway. Charles had been reading the news as everyone else had been getting ready and gasped for a few seconds as he first caught a glance of his two favourite ladies in their matching coats with his beloved Rothesay Hunting tartan. "Oh my God…", he whispered and didn't even know where to look first. "You both look absolutely beautiful!", he gushed, tenderly putting his hand around Camilla’s waist, trying to pull her closer, but she winced and kept her distance. William and Harry were going to come down every moment and she didn't want them to have to see them like that, not yet, not after yesterday's dispute, not to speak of the Queen Mother's presence that would have made her feel deeply uncomfortable displaying affection. She looked at him excusing and hoped he'd understand. And indeed, the boys came down just seconds later, both dressed in dashing suits like their father. "Looking good!", William said to Thea and the little girl blushed which made Camilla smile. She had been such a good girl ever since their arrival, she had been behaving so well and to see how sweetly and lovingly she had already bonded with her great-grandmother, and how kind the old lady was to her, made Camilla’s heart almost burst with pride and joy.

They departed to Crathie Kirk in two cars; one was carrying Charles and the boys and the second one the Queen Mother, Thea and herself. As their visit had not been announced and nobody expected members of the Royal Family in Scotland on New Year's Day, it was just the usual handful of faithful members of the community who showed up for the service, but of course their eyes widened as they realised who came out of the black Audi that had just stopped in front of the church: Charles had driven the three of them himself and the ladies had had a driver, and once their car had parked next to the black Audi, the Prince immediately rushed over and first helped his grandmother out, and then gave his girlfriend a helping hand, much to the enchantment of the onlookers, who had gathered together at the entrance of the church and watched the scenes with great curiosity. Thank goodness, there were no photographers or reporters around, but Camilla noticed two of the younger attendees leaving the area and heading towards the village again, there'd most certainly be more attention when they were going to depart after the service but she didn't want to think about that now, it was already nerve-wracking enough just trying to follow Charles as unobtrusive as possible without stumbling and falling over her own feet as they made their way to the entrance of the church, where the priest, who was just as surprised to see them as everyone else, welcome them kindly, first the Queen Mother, then Charles and then boys: "Happy New Year, Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses.", before bending over to her and Thea, kindly wishing them both a happy new year as well. "Thank you and the same to you!", Camilla replied, rather automatically, and hoped it had been alright. They followed the party inside of the church and took their seats in the first row, with the security officers who were accompanying the four royals sitting down right behind them.

The service lasted for about an hour and somehow, it helped Camia to calm down. The music was beautiful and the prayers and readings had something meditative, but her nervousness returned as they got up and made their way up the aisle again, as she knew exactly that all eyes were on them, especially her. She tried not to think about it, but she couldn't avoid the glances and smiles the people in the back rows gave her as they walked past them. Surely, not everyone gave her smile, some didn't even look at her, two or three older women gave her a rather judging glance, but most of them happily smiled and waved at them which was quite a wonderful experience. However, as the doors flung open for them to exit, her heart stopped beating for a few seconds, as, for a small village like Crathie, quite a massive crowd had gathered in front of the church, excitedly cheering at members of their royal family. Camilla remembered the two youngsters who had gone back to the village after their arrival - they'd probably let everyone know and apparently brought the whole village here. Thank God they had the Queen Mother with them, who never minded meeting people and immediately rushed over to one side, pulling all of her three great-grandchildren with her. The Queen Mother couldn't have been more delighted and excited to introduce her sweet little great-granddaughter to the community of the village that has always meant so much to her and, much to Charles and Camilla's relief, who watched the scene from the corner or their eyes, everyone seemed enchanted by their little darling. Thea wasn't a naturally shy child but of course this completely new situation and all of the strangers were intimidating and she hid behind her great-grandmother at first, until William took her by the hand and sweetly walked side-by-side with her behind the Queen Mother. Charles' heart almost exploded at these wonderful scenes and, in contrast to Camilla, he didn't even seem to notice that Harry, who was walking behind William and Thea, carrying the Queen Mother's walking stick, didn't look too happy at all. But before she could've thought twice about it, Charles motioned for her to follow him to greet the people lining the other side of the path, but she just looked at him in panic. "Darling, no…", her lips formed silently, but he just nodded reassuringly and tenderly patted her back, gently pushing her in the right direction. The public reaction was overwhelming and Camilla felt like in a movie or something as she slowly made her way along the well-wishers, terrified at first, but all of the smiles and handshakes and good wishes made her feel more secure, confident and comfortable after few minutes. One women handed flowers to her, an exceptionally lovely posy, explaining to her that she had been given them for her birthday on the 30th but wanted her to have them instead. "I'd have bought some for you but the shops are all closed…", she explained and Camilla laughed. She couldn't believe how kind and lovely they all were, she'd expected them to hate her but in fact it was quite the opposite. Of course, it was only just the reaction of one small village, and didn't represent the whole United Kingdom, but given Crathie's special and long-standing connection to the Royal Family, it seemed quite an important and significant one and that made her incredibly happy, especially the warmth they had welcomed Thea with, who couldn't stop talking about her experience all afternoon, her eyes lit up in excitement.

They were having tea in the Queen Mother's drawing room after they had returned to Birkhall. The boys had left the party in order to join their cousins and Laura for a few more games without the adults, so it was only Charles, Camilla and Thea joining the Queen Mother. It was lovely, but though it was only just early afternoon, Camilla was so tired she could have fallen asleep immediately. It'd been a wonderful morning but quite a lot to take in. "Your Majesty, darling -", she asked the Queen Mother and the Prince. "I'm genuinely sorry but I'm afraid I… I have to lay down for a little while.", she said, desperately trying to suppress a heartfelt yawn, much to the Queen Mother's amusement. "Don't worry, my dear, it's been quite a morning, hasn't it?", the old lady asked and Camilla nodded smilingly. "Just go upstairs and rest for a few hours, see you at dinner tonight.", she said, and Camilla got up, questioning looking at Thea, asking: "What about you, sweetie? Wanna come with me or stay here?" Thea happily jumped up and over to Charles, throwing herself onto him, which caused all of them laughing, before she declared: "I'll stay with Daddy!"

Camilla actually did have a red coat with Rothesay Hunting tartan on the collar and sleeves made for their honeymoon in 2005. In the story, I imagine her to wear exactly this outfit and a smaller version of it for Thea ❤️

[oscarjamesleigh]

The Parliament Fart of 1607, or Satire and Respectability

On the 4th March, 1607, just after being read a message from the Lords, one of the younger members of the English Parliament, Henry Ludlow, farted somewhat loudly, enough that everyone heard it. This event was noted enough that it is remembered even now as the Parliament Fart of 1607.

Farting was common in humour throughout the Medieval and Early Modern periods, as broad humour involving sexuality and scatology was quite widespread, however in-person farting was considered indiscreet for a gentleman. Cleanliness and control of one's bodily functions was associated with sophistication, and farting could be particularly awkward in a society that associated bad smells with infection (see miasma theory). So this was the kind of thing that might damage your reputation, even your career, particularly at a public event. But, in the end, Henry Ludlow escaped relatively unscathed, he had other scandals given his quarrelsome nature, so perhaps that distracted people.

What did emerge from this moment however was a series of manuscript poems satirising the event. Manuscript, hand-writing, was the standard form for controversial writings because it couldn't be traced back to a specific printing-press, as seen similarly in the "libels" of the time where people would mock recently-deceased political figures. This one was written many times in different ways, and continued to be reimagined as late as the 1660's early Restoration.

All versions start with the fart, often described him similar wordings, and then follow a format of rhyming couplets with various named members standing up to respond to the fart. There's a bit of mischief here in how the members, speaking largely like they would with any other parliamentary business, attempt to keep a sense of dignity in their responses.

One example has the first sentences as:

"Downe came grave auntient Sr John Crooke And redd his message in his booke. Fearie well, quoth Sr William Morris, Soe: But Henry Ludlowes Tayle cry’d Noe. Up starts one fuller of deuotion Then Eloquence; and said A very ill motion Not soe neither quoth Sr Henry Jenkin The Motion was good; but for the stincking Well quoth Sr Henry Poole it was a bold tricke To Fart in the nose of the bodie pollitique." (Bodleian Library manuscript, Malone 23)

You can get a sense of the style of these poems from that. At the time of the original incident, the parliament was debating the naturalisations of the Scots after the Union of the Crowns under James VI and I.

James was originally a Scottish king before English, somewhat subverting the original English desire to conquer Scotland, which unsurprisingly some people weren't very happy about, the Gunpowder Plotters themselves where partially motivated by anti-Scottish xenophobia. His mother was Mary Queen of Scots (of head-losing fame) but he was separated from her long before she died and raised by his Protestant relatives. Because of their descent from the line of Henry VII's eldest daughter Margaret, many considered James and his mother as the primary heirs to the throne, so his Protestantism cleared many of the barriers for his acceptance his mother had faced. Though it's unclear whether Elizabeth ever really accepted James as heir, he was increasingly treated as de-facto heir in the later years of her reign.

Because James inherited the English crown separately (and associated crown of Ireland, English dominion over Wales and not-yet-forgotten claim to the throne of France) it remained entirely independent from and distinct to his kingdom of Scotland. James disliked the idea of holding two crowns at the same time when the system were quite different, so he became the first person to propose the political idea of Great Britain, which would not become a reality until the reign of his great-grandaughter Anne in 1707. While he could only use the title Britain in prerogative matters, things the King could do unilaterally, since he could not convince parliament to accept it, James wanted parliament to at least recognise Scottish subjects born after the union, "post nati", to have natural rights at English subjects.

Naturally, this was one of the subjects referenced in the first Parliament Fart Poems, along with other contemporary topics like freedom of speech and royal finances. But the different versions changed significantly over time. They didn't just fiddle with wordings, they also adapted to reference different issues. Later in James' reign there was the Overbury Scandal, a political murder, and the 1624 Monopolies Bill, on a form of profiteering patenting, later versions written during the 1640's took on the context of the intense parliamentary debate at that time leading up to the civil war. And when it re-appeared in the Restoration, it was used to mock parliament from a Royalist perspective, despite most previous uses being more pro-parliament.

Of course, at the end of the day, the Parliament Fart Poem wasn't just about politics or any other serious topic, it was also play, it was funny, it was fun to write neat little rhyming couplets. It appealed to a taste for irreverent crude humour that was popular at the time even in higher circles. You can see a similar sense of humour in many of Shakespeare's play, so it was far from alone in mixing the high and the low, that was what made such pieces appealing to a relatively wide audience. They weren't too snobbish or narrowly airy. A lot of the classic literature from the Medieval and Early Modern periods had crude humourous moments, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales did too, and that was commonly reprinted in this period as a kind of vintage classic.

Perhaps in the modern day we could also use a moment to laugh at a fart, we'd be in good company.

[minervacasterly]

The Death of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland & the End of an era:

The last Tudor monarch died at Richmond Palace at the age of sixty nine on the 24th of March 1603 after ruling England for forty four years.

She was the longest Tudor reigning monarch, and third longest ruling Queen in English history. Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Born on September 7th 1533, she was bastardized three years later following her parents’ annulment and her mother’s execution.

Out of all the monarchs, Elizabeth was unique in the sense that she never married. By refusing any marriage offer –while coyly entertaining every ambassador, making all sorts of promises that she would consider- she abstained herself from such troubles and was able to be her own mistress.

News of the Queen’s death spread like wildfire, also reaching her councilors’ preferred successor, James VI of Scotland. Weeks before on March 9th, Robert Cecil, son of her late and most trusted adviser William Cecil (Lord Burghley), wrote to George Nicholson, the English ambassador in Edinburgh, informing him that the Queen was ailing and that “her mouth and tongue” were “dry and her chest hot” and that she couldn’t sleep anymore. This is somewhat false. Elizabeth was deathly ill but she was far from helpless as Cecil’s report suggests. She was about her business, walking back and forth in her chambers, pondering on the future that awaited her country once she was gone.

Less than a week later, her condition worsened and she was no longer able to move as freely. Then on the 19th of March she gave a last audience to Sir Robert Carey (Mary Boleyn’s youngest grandson). She held Carey’s hand and confessed to him that she was not well. Sir Robert tried to cheer her up but to no avail. Elizabeth, as the rest, knew that her days were numbered and she wouldn’t live for another week.

On Tuesday, the twenty second she was brought to her bed where she stayed until her death. Her councilors visited her, insisting that she dictate her will so she could leave a successor but she refused. Like before, Elizabeth was always hesitant when it came to the issue of an heir. So many had competed for that position and so many were now gone.

Katherine Grey had married without permission and died nearly half mad in 1568, and ten years later her younger sister Mary Grey -who wasn’t allowed to see her husband because Elizabeth feared she could also produce children and rival claimants- and lastly, Mary, Queen of Scots who lost her head in 1587.

The favorite on everyone’s mind was James VI and one simple word from their queen’s mouth would give his claim even more validity but the Queen, probably not caring or in agony, remained adamant in her position. A story later circulated that Elizabeth I had indeed named James by way of her fingers when the council asked her to move her finger a certain way to mean that James was her successor and she did, but this cannot be corroborated and it is likely false.

The death of Elizabeth I marked the end of an era. A bloody, tumultuous era packed with religious and social change. She was not a staunch Protestant but she did push for Protestant reformer on the Church, primarily on the Book of Common prayer, and neither was she a Catholic –though one Pope expressed admiration for her, claiming that if she wasn’t a Protestant, he would support her instead of Philip II of Spain. Elizabeth was a moderate and she took a moderate approach. That is the type of monarch she was. Her laws were just as fierce, if not fiercer in some aspects, than her father’s, grandfather’s and siblings. The way in which she used her image says a lot about her. In one painting she is standing next to the goddess but if one looks closely it is the goddesses who are standing next to her, leading her to her destiny. Elizabeth was in popular eyes not just an anointed sovereign, but the head of all spiritual and earthly matters.

Read more here: https://tudorsandotherhistories.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/the-death-of-queen-elizabeth-i/

[chloemarievaughan]

May 10-11- the End!

my last full day in Scotland, and I saved some of the best for last! First stop of the morning was a guided tour of Holyrood Palace, which is a lovely palace where the current royal family of the UK (Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Prince William, among others) stays when they have working engagements in Edinburgh. There are state dinners and parties as well as other meetings. to get to the palace, I walked all the way along the Royal Mile down to the very bottom, about a 20 minute walk. It was very sunny this morning and I stepped outside and immediately went right back inside to grab my sun hat 😂 I enjoyed the walk and then made it to the palace, noticing on the way that it was free to visit the Scottish parliament so decided to visit that after. I very much enjoyed the tour of Holyrood, which was a well done audio tour discussing the historical occupants, including Mary Queen of Scots and more into the story of her Catholicism and how she eventually abdicated the throne in favor of her son; also went in depth into a murder plot against her. Another room, the biggest in the palace, had a wall full of portraits of the ancient kings and queens of Scotland of old, commissioned by King Charles the II. To reinforce to everyone the kingly pedigree of Charles II, the painter chose to portray every painting with King Charles II’s big nose 😂. The palace is beautifully decorated, outside and in, and again I took a photo in the first room before noticing a no photos sign and getting in trouble with the palace staff. Whoops!

the tour finished up in the abbey ruins from the 1100s beside the palace and then a lovely walk through the palace gardens. I was wanting an early lunch at this point but there was basically a choice between the cafe at the palace or the one at parliament; didn’t specifically want anything from the cafe at the palace and was confused about the line so went next store to parliament, which ended up being a mistake because the food looked way worse 😂 had a little bacon sandwich and chocolate pastry to fortify myself for my hike of Arthur’s seat in the afternoon, and then poked around the exhibit about Scottish parliament (Scotland only had its own parliament since the 1990s! Which is why the building is so new. It was pretty interestingly designed and modern architecture throughout) and I got to actually go in the legislative chamber! I learned that if I had planned ahead you can actually sit in on Parliament while it is in session Monday-Thursday, or get a free guided tour.

Then it was time to hike Arthur’s seat! This is an (extinct) volcano beside which Edinburgh was built, offering great views of the city and also the other volcanic hills nearby. The yellow gorse bushes were blooming all over the mountainside, and it was a beautiful day for a hike; a bit sunny at times making me glad of my hat, but also partly cloudy making it less hot than it could have been. Sidebar: I later realized I should have definitely applied more sunscreen to my shoulders and I have an impressive sunburn that is going to give me some weird tan lines on my shoulders lol. This hike was Steep- my iPhone told me I walked the equivalent of 80 flights of stairs today! Felt like I zigzagged Straight up a cliff which I essentially did for part of it, though there were stairs to walk on- and I had to take many breaks to recover and catch my breath, so I was glad that Grey wasn’t there to have to wait for me lol, it took me way longer than I’m sure it would have taken him lol. I had a liter water bottle but wished I’d had more water. My recovery breaks always came with a great view though :)

I brought a couple pairs of shoes for the trip, including my hiking boots and some athletic sandals (Tevas) which I love for traveling, because I’m always hot when I walk around. However I really wished I had my boots for this walk! my sandals held up okay but I didn’t have the best grip on the dusty soil of the paths. When I got to the top a French guy said he was impressed I made it with sandals 😂 he and his group had brought a cooler with beers to the top which in retrospect was a fantastic idea haha. it was beautiful but very crowded at the top, so I made my way back down; this was even worse with my sandals. Didn’t appreciate the view as much trying to be sure of my footing on the way down haha, only slid once though but was able to catch myself before I actually fall down. At the very base of the mountain there was a little ice cream van making an absolute killing I’m sure, I bought a new water and chugged it immediately. Totally worth the hike but I was super sore and tired at this point, so wanted to walk back to my apartment for a shower.

Unfortunately for me I had to walk all the way back up the royal mile to get back to my apartment, but had a pleasant walk ducking into touristy souvenir shops, weaving in an out of the huge crowds and listening to the buskers playing bagpipes and watching the magicians doing tricks on the street. Speaking of magic, I had to stop for a butter beer at the Elephant House, a cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter! It’s on Victoria Street, which claims to be an inspiration for Diagon Alley. The butter beer was Disgusting, a nasty cream soda- I’ve had much better at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but I couldn’t resist haha. Went into one of the Harry Potter shops to browse too.

I stopped for a very quick falafel wrap for lunch and then showered and rested a bit for my last hurrah in Edinburgh: another chocolate whisky tasting! it was in a bar called the Tipsy Midgie (Midgies being the Scots word for a midge, or biting fly, that apparently gets quite bad in the summers in Scotland. Luckily we missed midge season!) this bar was about a 20 minute walk away, and I took a path that went past a few sights I hadn’t seen yet, including the National Museum of Scotland and the Greyfriars Kirkyard, a cemetary with Harry Potter connections: JK Rowling used to walk through the cemetary and took several characters names from the names on the Graves, including Tom Riddle (Voldemort himself). then onward to the Tipsy Midgie! They do ever changing whisky pairings with chocolates and you can book them in advance with at least 24 hours notice by emailing the bar. I enjoyed my first chocolate whisky experience so much I thought a second would be well worth it. The bar itself was small but very cool. This time it was 5 whiskies paired with 5 chocolates, from the 5 major whisky regions of Scotland, Speyside, the Highlands, the Lowlands, the Islands, and Islay; again arranged from a light sweeter whisky- the Tamnavulin Tempranillo Cask Edition, paired with a strawberry cheesecake white chocolate, to an Ardnamurchan Rum Cask paired with a dark chocolate with rum filling (my favorite kind of chocolate is dark chocolate, but honestly it went the least well with whisky; the sweeter notes of the rest of the white and milk chocolates made for much tastier combinations) all the way to the peatier Kilchoman 2010 vintage from Islay, with the smoky peat flavor going excellently with a peanut butter and jelly truffle. I had an incredible time at the tasting- there was a table of perhaps my parents aged Americans next to me who were just starting their two week Scotland trip, and I could tell they thought I was about 18 years old as they were chatting with me haha, thinking I was very brave to be so young and out and about on my own drinking whisky 😂 also liked talking to my waitress Sarah, who designed the tasting and picks out the best whiskies to go with the chocolates- I asked where she got the chocolates and she told me a local chocolatier named Finley, not exactly helpful if I wanted to buy any chocolates lolol. and also I met the proprietor Colin, who told me that the bar had only been open 18 months! Which explains why it was in a bit of a weird area, more residential and less of a touristy place. When he heard it was my last night in Scotland he brought me a free bonus tasting of the 6th whisky region in Scotland, a Glen Scotia from Campbelltown. I did not necessarily need a 6th whisky at that point haha but it was a really good one so of course I thoroughly enjoyed it! Very smooth. No bonus chocolate pairing though ;) I walked back to my apartment enjoying the sights of Edinburgh for the last time, and was a bit tipsy while packing and tidying up the airbnb. I had an early night, and woke up to head for the airport bright and early, leaving before 6. It was nice and bright outside, and I found a way to walk that avoided lugging my suitcase around on the stairs, thank goodness. Took the tram to the airport and checked in without incident- though my luggage seriously gets picked every single time for additional screenings. As usual I have very normal things in my suitcase lol! (In Toronto my bag got pulled again and the worker asked me if i had bottles of maple syrup in my bag- no, it was whisky lolol) slept a lot on the plane and wrote this last post on the way to my layover in Toronto. Should arrive in Columbus around 3 o’clock and then have a day to recover and back to work on Monday 😭

From the Isle of Skye to the Loch Ness to castles, churches, history, and mountains with wonderful train rides and delicious chocolate and whisky pairings, I had such a wonderful time in Scotland! I couldn’t possibly recommend it more and I’m sure I will be back again! :)

[lunawho47]

I had to answer this question that @watcherwiki asked me in their reblog of my original list. That question was about what actors from DW would I like to see on PH. So, as with the gang when they do Top 5 Beatdown, I established rules for myself with my answer.

Obviously, they had to be actors. When I first read the question, I didn't see the word actor and was like, just thinking production in general. But the stipulation of actor makes it a bit different and does change what answers immediately spring to mind.

The answer is based on the actor, not the character they portray. For instance, if we were going by character, I would have said I'd like to see Rose Tyler as a guest, but despite my love of Billie Piper, I don't think she would be as dynamic of a guest as her character Rose would have been.

The actor must still be alive. I did want to list actors we would have ANY chance of seeing, therefore a lot of the classic Who actors who I think would be hilarious on PH aren't feasible...cos they're dead. (For example, I think Patrick Troughton would have been hilarious or my personal queen Elisabeth Sladen would have had interesting answers.)

With those rules in mind, LET'S LIST!!

5. Ncuti Gatwa (plays the 15th Doctor, the current iteration of the character). What can you say really? I mean, he's got charisma just dripping off of him. He's got a fascinating back story and doubtless has a lot of history knowledge from both his home country of Rwanda and his adopted country of Scotland. He would bring an interesting viewpoint to any history legend the WE crew could provide and he would doubtless have everybody laughing in seconds. He also would be perfectly comfortable with the racy and toilet based humor and would happily go along with all of it. He would be a joy to watch with the Watcher group.

4. Frazer Hines (played 2nd Doctor companion Jamie McCrimmon). I thank God every day that this man is still around to lie to everyone about random facts of history and to tell scandalous stories from the Troughton days on the DW set. I've been lucky enough to meet this actor at DW cons over the years and he is an absolute blast to talk to. (Also, good luck taking photos with him because he will do everything he can to make you laugh at inconvenient moments and ruin the picture.) He also is gifted at impersonations, so he could easily do some voicework for the many puppets that get introduced. And he would not take anything about PH seriously at all so all of his answers would be absolutely hilarious. He's the kind of person who would pick the wrong answer intentionally because the thought of the implications involved would amuse him.

3. David Tennant (portrayed the Tenth Doctor, Metacrisis!Ten, and the Fourteenth Doctor). Do I really need to explain this one? Even people who don't watch DW know who this man is. He is ridiculously talented. He, like Ncuti, has charm just dripping off of him and he is charismatic af. I'd have him higher on the list (because the man could have chemistry with a brick wall, so you know he would bounce off of Shane and Ryan easily), but I know he hates improv work, and most of PH is that. He would do it, but when he's nervous he finds it difficult to think up witty answers. (For proof, see the 2007(?) Weakest Link Special. When they vote off K9 in round 1, and Anne Robinson asks David why he voted K9 out, he said, "I'm nervous as it is, don't make me improv!")

2. Jemma Redgrave (portrays Kate Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT). She has been in so many period adaptations set in various eras of history and various social classes. In DW, she plays the head of an organization that searches for aliens and she throws around a lot of scientific jargon. I just think that she's an actress who probably has picked up a lot of various little tidbits of knowledge on various subjects over the years and would enjoy using what she has gleaned to guess answers on a quiz show. I think she'd have a bunch of fun with it!

Camille Coduri (portrayed Jackie Tyler). She won the DW Weakest Link Special, over David Tennant and Noel Clarke (who came in 3rd and 2nd, respectively). She's also on a lot of the Classic DW retrospective featurettes and I've seen a lot of interviews with her over the years, and she knows a lot of history at least as regards the entertainment industry. She is naturally good at playing off other people and is even a bit gullible at times (see the DW blooper reels for examples of this), but she's really smart and can intuit reasonable answers very well. She's the dream guest: funny, good at improv humor, and enjoys learning bizarre historical facts.

AND THAT'S THE LIST!!

My Watcher Top 5 List

Happy 5 Years, Watcher Entertainment, and thank you for all the hard work you've done entertaining us all these years! Here's to MANY more!

5. Top 5 Beatdown

I am a HUGE list maker. You name the topic and I can guarantee you I have a list of preferences on it. (And will probably discover some way to work a DW reference into it.) This show was practically made for people like me because not only do I always make lists, but I'm always arguing with people about them. And I expect people to have serious, hardcore reasons for their preference. I am in NO WAY a "no thoughts, just vibes" kinda person and that reasoning will never hold any water for me.

4. Weird and/or Wonderful World

I love to travel and I love to go to out of the way places with my friends and family. This show, to me, is the personification of a good besties day out. Let's go see something neither of us has bothered to view before and weird people out with how weird we are together! Can you think of a better way to spend time with your best friend? Cos I can't.

3. Travel Season

This show is so beautifully put together. I was a big fan of Worth It (although I have a hard time rewatching it cos it always makes me hungry), so having Steven, Andrew, and Adam back together again was a dream come true for me. I had been hoping for it since Watcher Entertainment was announced. And then not only do I get the trio back together again with this, but I get an entirely new idea that isn't just Worth It Repackaged. It still is about food, but it's more about exploring a new culture together and seeing how the entire world's love and dependency on food shapes relationships and communities. I studied to be a missionary and one of the things we always focus on when we're meeting people and finding out ways to partner with communities of believers in separate countries is FELLOWSHIP. Aka eating together and discussing what matters. That is this show in a nutshell. It is a comfort show for me and one I constantly have on in the background.

2. Mystery Files

Don't get me wrong. I love my Ghost Files content, but there's a reason why this is on my list and Ghost Files isn't. I enjoy a good ghost hunt, but intellectually I am more stimulated trying to research and come to a conclusion about an unsolved mystery. I actually had not heard of a good number of these random mysteries. I do wish they would do more true crime like they did in their Buzzfeed days, but I also understand completely the toll that kind of research can take on your mental health. And they also probably got tired of trying to discuss that kind of thing while being a COMEDY show. True Crime and comedy don't always mesh very well so as I said, I get it. And obviously, with it being my number 2, I do enjoy it regardless of the change. My love of this show is based entirely on the fact that both Ryan and Shane get to host episodes and they can talk and joke about really weird, unexplained events in the world's history. What's not to love?

Puppet History

I was a history major back in undergrad, so this should surprise absolutely no one. (And in grad school, I studied church history and the history of the middle east and ancient languages, so there was still a lot of history involved in my master's degree.) I DO want to give credit where it's due. I've seen a lot of praise of Shane's work on this show in the Top 5 lists on here. And he does work hard on this! But shout out to all the other hard workers on this project! To the researchers (Kari Koeppel in particular, who seems to be the head researcher on 80% of these videos), to the puppet makers (Shane only made the original Professor. The others have been made by professionals), to the writer Garrett Werner, and the other voices for puppets that have joined the show in the years since the first season. Shane does deserve a lot of credit -- this is his brain child and season 1 was mainly his work when it came to designing the puppet theater and everything. Other people have always written the scripts though. But yeah. If you love history, I can't recommend this show enough. I won't lie -- some of their facts are a bit squiffy, but nothing TOO egregious, and usually the Professor (aka Shane) will admit in character that he doesn't know the answer to a question and Ryan will tell the Professor he should do more research, lol. I would say that this show is a great comedic introduction to these historical topics but just don't take any episode as the supreme historical authority on ANY of these topics. (My official TM piece of advice on any piece of edutainment.)

[needcake]

AU where the Jacobites succeeded? Would that put Scotland as the powerhouse behind the British Empire instead of England?

mmmm I could argue with you that Scotland was the powerhouse behind the British Empire though XD

It's funny because this is exactly the time period I'm studying for universal river's next chapter hehe there's a lot I don't know and don't fully understand so forgive me if I get anything wrong and please correct me if you feel I went off in a wrong direction.

But thinking if the Jacobites had succeeded, I think there's a high chance there would have been another civil war in England. James II was worryingly too much like his father, he closed Parliament at the first disagreement with his proposed Declaration of Indulgence, which would have given civil rights back to Catholics and virtually allowed freedom of worship. This worried Protestant leaders who saw in this a way for the country not only to go back to being Catholic, but also a way back to the chaos of the civil war. If James' son or even his grandson had succeeded, it would have provoked parliamentarians back to arms.

It's also worth noting that his son wasn't a goody old guy, rights to Catholics didn't include rights for all Catholics, only the rich ones. They wanted to keep the Irish exactly as they were, and if they succeeded I would see it as a step back for Britain as whole. Another major internal conflict would have hindered their development and set them back for years, fragmenting even more their external relations with other countries and making life in their already existing colonies even more miserable.

Now, as for the argument of Scotland as the powerhouse behind the British Empire, I need to stress the point that I'm an outsider and that I am in no way unbiased. I have been studying decolonization for a while now and that is why I have such strong opinions about it. What I have read during research is that Scotland was in no way a passive bystander or an innocent player to England's evil schemes. Scottish government actively participated in the colonization of Ulster in Ireland, they spearheaded the colonization of Nova Scotia in Canada, they pushed Queen Anne to an aggressive stance against France in the Queen Anne's War and against Spain in the Spanish War of Succession, which granted Britain the possession of Gibraltar. Even later on, you'll find evidence of their active involvement in the colonization of Africa.

I may be wrong here, but the way I see it England is kind of the scapegoat for everyone who wants to wash their hands from the responsibility over the damage colonization caused. Not to say they are blameless uwu little guys, but it wasn't an unilateral enterprise. Scotland profited from colonialism, Glasgow in particular, as did Wales. History is complex and sometimes difficult, there are no good guys.

And not to be a dirty little communist, but if you follow the money trail in all of this, you'll find that while the economic elites made money on plantations run by slavers, cultivating monocultures for profit and degrading the soil, selling all the food while people starved, the actual people in Britain were being just as abused, forced to pay increasingly high taxes, working ridiculous hours in inhumane conditions and being used as cannon fodder in imperialist wars.

-

Some links to the sources I've been reading:

Scottish involvement in the British Empire

The effect helping build the British Empire had on Scotland

Wales and the British Overseas Empire: Interactions and Influences, 1650-1830

Wales, colonised and coloniser: a reflection

Men of Harlech and Wales’ awkward relationship with the British Empire

[dailytudors]

24 MARCH 1603: The Death of Queen Elizabeth I.

The last Tudor monarch died at Richmond Palace at the age of sixty nine after ruling England for forty four years. She was the longest Tudor reigning monarch, and third longest ruling Queen in English history. Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Born on September 7th 1533, she was bastardized three years later following her parents’ annulment and her mother’s execution.

Out of all the monarchs, Elizabeth was unique in the sense that she never married. By refusing any marriage offer –while coyly entertaining every ambassador, making all sorts of promises that she would consider- she abstained herself from such troubles and was able to be her own mistress.

News of the Queen’s death spread like wildfire, also reaching her councilors’ preferred successor, James VI of Scotland. Weeks before on March 9th, Robert Cecil, son of her late and most trusted adviser William Cecil (Lord Burghley), wrote to George Nicholson, the English ambassador in Edinburgh, informing him that the Queen was ailing and that “her mouth and tongue” were “dry and her chest hot” and that she couldn’t sleep anymore. This is somewhat false. Elizabeth was deathly ill but she was far from helpless as Cecil’s report suggests. She was about her business, walking back and forth in her chambers, pondering on the future that awaited her country once she was gone.

Less than a week later, her condition worsened and she was no longer able to move as freely. Then on the 19th of March she gave a last audience to Sir Robert Carey (Mary Boleyn’s youngest grandson). She held Carey’s hand and confessed to him that she was not well. Sir Robert tried to cheer her up but to no avail. Elizabeth, as the rest, knew that her days were numbered and she wouldn’t live for another week.

On Tuesday, the twenty second she was brought to her bed where she stayed until her death. Her councilors visited her, insisting that she dictate her will so she could leave a successor but she refused. Like before, Elizabeth was always hesitant when it came to the issue of an heir. So many had competed for that position and so many were now gone.

Katherine Grey had married without permission and died nearly half mad in 1568, and ten years later her younger sister Mary Grey -who wasn’t allowed to see her husband because Elizabeth feared she could also produce children and rival claimants- and lastly, Mary, Queen of Scots who lost her head in 1587.

The favorite on everyone’s mind was James VI and one simple word from their queen’s mouth would give his claim even more validity but the Queen, probably not caring or in agony, remained adamant in her position. A story later circulated that Elizabeth I had indeed named James by way of her fingers when the council asked her to move her finger a certain way to mean that James was her successor and she did, but this cannot be corroborated and it is likely false.

The death of Elizabeth I marked the end of an era. A bloody, tumultuous era packed with religious and social change. She was not a staunch Protestant but she did push for Protestant reformer on the Church, primarily on the Book of Common prayer, and neither was she a Catholic –though one Pope expressed admiration for her, claiming that if she wasn’t a Protestant, he would support her instead of Philip II of Spain. Elizabeth was a moderate and she took a moderate approach. That is the type of monarch she was. Her laws were just as fierce, if not fiercer in some aspects, than her father’s, grandfather’s and siblings. The way in which she used her image says a lot about her. In one painting she is standing next to the goddess but if one looks closely it is the goddesses who are standing next to her, leading her to her destiny. Elizabeth was in popular eyes not just an anointed sovereign, but the head of all spiritual and earthly matters.

Read more here: https://tudorsandotherhistories.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/the-death-of-queen-elizabeth-i/

[heavyarethecrowns]

No nanny for hands-on parents William and Kate: Royal couple plan to break with tradition by not employing full-time help - Dec 2012

Duke and Duchess determined to be 'hands-on parents'

Royal couple may employ part-time nanny to help when they attend events

Carole and Michael Middleton expected to help with babysitting

Nannies have played an important role in the Royal household for generations.

Prince William was so attached to his nanny Olga Powell, who was at his side throughout his childhood, that he cancelled four high-profile engagements to be at her funeral earlier this year.

But the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge plan to break with royal tradition by not employing a full-time nanny.

The couple are determined to be 'hands-on parents' and Kate is planning to look after her child without the help of someone 24 hours a day.

Kate and Wills may employ a part-time nanny who will fulfill the role as a 'babysitter' by looking after their baby when they have to attend events.

But Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton will also be there to lend a hand as much as possible.

One of the couple's friends said: 'Catherine and William are determined to be hands-on parents.'

'Her parents are very excited about the baby and will help out as much as possible.'

'They will, probably, use a part-time nanny to help them out when they have to attend events and don’t have a babysitter, but they don’t want a full-time nanny.'

Their decision not to employ a full-time nanny will be a major break with royal tradition.

But it is not first time the royal couple have decided to forgo the services of full-time help.

The couple do not employ any staff at their home in North Wales, where the Duke serves as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot at Anglesey, apart from a cleaner who visits weekly.

Kate has spoken of how she enjoys doing the cooking and household chores.

And at university William and his housemates took it in turns to do the cooking and shared household chores - including shopping for food.

The Duke of Cambridge's nannies played such an important role in his life that the son of one of them, Tom Pettifer, was a page boy at the royal wedding.

Tom, William's godson, is the youngest son of Alexandra Shân 'Tiggy' Pettifer, known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who was hired as a nanny to Harry and William after Charles and Diana announced their separation.

Tiggy helped comfort the princes after their mother's death in 1997. She was so close to the boys after their parents’ divorce that she, memorably, once described them as 'my babies'.

She retired from the Prince of Wales's service when she married in October 1999.

In October, William attended the private funeral of his former nanny Olga Powell, cancelling four high-profile engagements in the north east, which his wife had to attend alone.

Mrs Powell was at his side through both childhood and the most important days in his adult life.

The loving, but strict nanny, was widely credited for having a massive impact on the lives of both Prince William and Harry as they were growing up.

Mrs Powell, who was widowed after just six years of marriage when she was 52, came to work for Princess Diana when Prince William was just six months old.

Although very loving, she was renowned for not taking any nonsense from the young boys, and famously would give them a clip around the ear if they were ever naughty.

Another nanny, Barbara Barnes, was sacked by Diana when William was four because she envied their strong bond.

In world's apart, Kate Middleton was brought up by her mother, Carole, a former air stewardess who spent her early years in a council flat in Southall, an unfashionable London suburb.

The woman considered to be most influential in the Prince of Wales's life was his beloved nanny Mabel Anderson, employed by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to care for their four children.

She had such a special place in the hearts of the Royal family that she was called upon to represent the Duke of York at a funeral at the Chapel Royal, in St James’s Palace, earlier this year.

Mabel's 80th birthday party was arranged by Charles to take place at the royal residence, Clarence House.

When she retired, Charles secured her a lifelong grace-and-favour home in a wing of Frogmore House, Windsor Great Park, and personally supervised its re-decoration using his own designer.

Mabel, who was once described by the Prince of Wales as 'a haven of security, the great haven', was said to be a great friend of the Queen's.

The Queen met Mabel, a policeman's daughter from Elgin, Scotland, in 1949 after she replied to an advertisement, not knowing it was from the royal household.

It was to be an assistant nanny to help the then Princess Elizabeth who was pregnant with Charles.

Despite her lack of formal training, Mabel, at 22, was chosen by the future Queen because Her Majesty liked her quiet, unassuming manner.

It was Mabel who put the children to bed, told them stories, patched up their cuts and bruises and hit upon the idea of teaching the royal corgis hide and seek with Princess Anne so that she wouldn't miss Charles when he started school.

She even sent Charles bottles of Vosene shampoo for his dandruff at boarding school.

Each Christmas, Prince Charles sends a chauffeur-driven car to take Mrs Anderson to Sandringham, where she is treated like a cherished member of the family rather than an employee.

A St James’s Palace spokesman said: 'It is too early to say whether the Duke and Duchess will employ a nanny.'

The news comes as it was revealed by the Mail on Sunday the couple are considering skipping Christmas at Sandringham and may instead spend December 25 with Kate’s parents Carole and Michael.

‘It is being discussed but has not yet been decided,’ said a source.

‘Carole is keen for Kate to spend Christmas with the family. It will be their last Christmas at the family home before the Middletons move house.

‘At home Kate will be able to relax and put her feet up. Christmas at Sandringham can be very busy and stressful with everyone arriving. There is always lots going on, big dinners and lots of outfit changes to contend with.’

The family have reportedly bought a £4.7 million, seven-bedroom mansion.

[myshadesofwrong]

As a historian, who has a literal degree in this (primarily British monarchy with some French so a lot of my examples will come from them), I am begging you if you’re going to be anti-monarchy, at least know the facts so you’re no sprouting the same tired rhetoric over and over.

Or in other words, OP is right (about the fandom and the monarchy)

Rants like the reblog from hotaurea make me so mad because the world and institutions are not black and white. The world, people, and the things we create like institutions have both good and bad and most everybody exists in gray. That’s just a fact.

I agree with the OP. No institution is perfect and evolve. Wilhelm could have been the lynchpin to help his institution evolve. Because, believe it or not, the monarchy does do some good. First, hotaurea is right in a way., Anybody can advocate for issues and charities but the monarchy has something you and I don’t. A platform. Their tags about correctly exposing that particular part as ‘bullshit’ is quite literally wrong. Every royal has a cause. Whatever you think of King Charles of England, he has for years been a champion of the environment, highlighting farmers and natural causes. Do you honestly think that the reporters and press would give a shit if he didn’t show up. Same with Queen Camilla of England. She champions and works quite a lot with domestic abuse charities. Prince William, Princess Catherine, and Prince Harry all constantly give attention to mental health issues. And Prince Harry has his veterans work. Now, we all can go and help each of these very important issues but our impact is going to be nil to theirs. Why? The same reason everyone demands celebrities speak up about issues. Platform. People listen. Now we can have a debate on ‘worthiness’ certainly. That’s a fair debate. But the truth of the matter is as the royal family, they have the reach and the interest from the press to bring more attention to the issue. Please no not negate that impact.

As for the ‘homophobic’ accusation, tell me you’ve never done actual research on the monarchy, any monarchy. I can name FIVE LGBTQIA+ monarchs or members of their family right off the top of my head:

Queen Anne of Great Britain (1700s)

Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, brother of King Louis XIV (a known cross dresser as well, actually openly wore women’s clothing at Versailles)

Edward II of England

Ludwig II of Bavaria

And my personal fav:

James VI of Scotland and I of England.

James is a particular favorite because the man was at least bi-sexual and literally commissioned the fucking King James Bible. You know, the one that all the homophobes use as “proof” of homosexuality being a sin. Pull that out at your next party/family gathering. I love seeing people’s expressions when they learn that.

Anyway, if you think monarchies are homophobic, you have no idea of the history. Y’all, historically, royals are fucking wild. Many straight monarchs actually had lovers both male and female. Some did marry and have children while others never did. But here’s my point, they NEVER hid them. These affairs or favorites were paraded with pride throughout courts. Lovers were given prominent roles in households, on councils, were advisors. It is a very modern assumption or concept really that monarchies must be straight and private. Did some hide them, yes. But go back through history and you’ll find countless stories of favorites being paraded around in from of wives, husbands, and courts. And by repeating that concept, you’re propogating conservative rhetoric is trying to hide LGBTQIA+ history. It’s that simple. And let’s not even talk about sex parties and the actual proclavities of some of these royals. Seriously, look them up. You’ll find out the true meaning of truth is stranger than fiction.

Now we can have debates over finances (reminder royals are not actual leeching off of citizens. They do have their own inheritance wealth, as well as I believe real estate is a big one. Again, the origin of the that is certainly cause for criticism but they’re not getting paid by your taxes) and actual worthiness as hotaurea put it but can we please have a non-extremist discussion on monarchy. It’s not either/or. There are good sides and bad sides to it, even in modern times. Actually, I would say modern monarchies are actually more relevant than their colonizer and blood thirsty ancestors. Modern monarch/royals devote their lives to charities and causes. They have no say in most governments and are definitely not sending troops out to war. But I digress.

Anyway, this is getting too long. I just wanted to point out the flaws in hotaurea’s little rant and add that OP was right. Wille could have been the son of a CEO of a big corporation and the story wouldn’t have changed one bit. It made his decision less impactful because we are never shown the actual struggle Wille could have had. Because you will never convince me, a good PR person would not have seen the potential in Wille after his speech and would not have let him champion a LGBTQIA+ cause. Imagine if Fatima would have been like okay, but Wille chose to go the safe route? That makes Simon’s reaction and his own work more impactful in the series. He even tried to tell Wille but it was WILLE who did not want to listen. In the end, maybe if they had shown the good side of the monarchy, it would have made Wille’s decision even more impactful instead of it looking selfish and impulsive. Or he could have stayed and shown what having a platform for good actually is but OP is right. And believe it or not, there is such a thing as IVF where Wille could have had a biological child. Shocking I know. Or a surrogate. Stop ignoring these possibilities.

Lisa was too stuck on the same rhetoric above instead of creating an institution that would have been nuanced and more realistic instead of a one-dimensional villain twirling their mustache.

Too busy to write a 5k essay it deserves but neither the audience nor Wilhelm saw the actual monarchy as an institution worth fighting for or at least worth considering it.

The monarchy was completely absent from the show. You could replace it with a billion-dollar publicly traded company and it wouldn't change the plot. Concerns about public image? Check. Out of control sense of privilege? Check. Spoiled children of rich parents? Check.

No one from the unrealistically small royal family was given a chance to demonstrate or explore the gravity and the positive influence a thousand-year-old institution can have. Does the queen have causes she particularly cares about? Does she invest her time into fundraising for them? Does she think certain problems are overlooked by the society and does she use her celebrity status to draw attention to them? We have no idea, we only have been shown her caring about the public image of the institution she represents.

Same with Wille: in the show he was never given a chance to explore how his status could be used for good. Were there young people for whom his coming out meant a lot? Definitely, but we never heard about them. Would it be equally important for others if the crown prince started openly talking about his struggles with anxiety? For sure. This list is potentially endless but the creators were never interested in showing anything positive about the monarchy.

[cecilyneville]

the spanish princess: episode 8

“why are people watching this show if they don’t like it???”

me: 

(i mean hating on this show, not actually watching it - nothing about tsp is fun, the whole thing has been mean-spirited from beginning to end)

ruairi was good as prince henry, but as king henry? awful

“i would not come to help you” so how much more of coa being a cunt are we going to get? bc if this episode is called “peace” i assume she has to...idk...start being a bit nicer

god, fucking finally

if they want us to like catherine bc she’s finally paying attention to mary that isn’t “HMM SHE IS NOT A BOY”, they got another thing coming

catherine was horrible to everyone including her ladies and her daughter, but she’s slightly nicer now so it’s ok!!!!

“men of arran and men of hamilton” the writers have finally realised there are more families in scotland than stewart and douglas

WHY has albany kidnapped james? at first i thought it was a ruse b/w him and meg but apparently not. wouldn’t it make more sense for her to return to scotland to find that angus has kidnapped james?

it makes so much sense for ef to just ignore the fact that margaret douglas exists and keep prince alexander alive

ursula where you been all this time???

finally some semi-accurate headwear on maggie. but ONLY on maggie, not on ursula, bc if it’s anything the costuming on all three series have taught us, only old ladies cover their heads

also finally - laura carmichael is getting some decent material to work with! (relatively speaking)

bessie instructing henry fitzroy is very similar to her tudors counterpart doing the same, bc of course

comb ur fuckin hair dude

i’m not gonna lie, this latin standoff between mary & henry fitzroy is hilarious, like a 16th-century spelling bee

“there’s nothing i can give a girl” except, you know, sending her to ludlow as heirs to the throne were before her, but even that level of nuance is too confusing for fraham

“my brother is more sympathetic to her cause than he has been” this week: henry discovers the concept of divorce

“go to the king anne, smile and win his favour” yet another barely-concealed tudors ripoff

thomas more just like “maggie you’re fucked up bc your life has been so shit”

if henry is speaking about this script then he is 100% correct

oh rosa’s here! so not one but BOTH of catherine’s besties will ditch her, delicious

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, THIS IS THE MOST OBVIOUS, CLUNKY WAY TO DO IT LMAO

oh they’re going for a becket/henry ii vibe here with wolsey & henry, don’t mind this

it bothers me SO much that they keep calling maggie henry’s aunt when they never bothered to include elizabeth’s actual sisters after they put cecily on a bus (which, to be fair, was probably for the best)

i kind of recoil when people say “[insert historical figure] would be so offended by this depiction” because if someone like catherine of aragon were shown any modern depiction of herself, her head would probably explode out of confusion and horror. BUT this is so offensive to the real catherine of aragon

i would like to see laura carmichael as elizabeth of york - it’s the big brown eyes

is she doing this out of hatred for her inability to give the king a son??? what does it all MEAN emma

i mean i guess he’s hotter than angus

i know this hunting scene is supposed to reflect something from part one which i didn’t watch, but it just reminds me of the tudors s1 finale when henry and anne fucked in the woods 

also reminds me very much of the great when peter tries to drown catherine

catherine quoting deuteronomy and unwittingly confessing to consummating her marriage with arthur...CONGRATULATIONS YOU PLAYED YOURSELF

soz to sound like a broken record but the fact that people - even some actual critics - watch CH’s performance and think this is actually good acting will never not be funny to me, she’s atrocious. it’s so jarring looking at behind the scenes footage and seeing her smiling, like couldn’t you actually do this on screen? she plays catherine like the woman’s never felt happiness in her life, or any other emotion for that matter

lina’s not gonna sell catherine out and i’m so mad about it, she has treated you like SHIT for YEARS

god, she can’t even cry believingly

HELL YES MEG, DISCO INFERNO

we won’t have time to see meg’s marriage to henry stewart fail spectacularly, which is probably a good thing bc my heart would break

catherine has been absolutely VILE to lina but it’s ok bc she’s said sorry now

“i would speak with you” / “it seems you already are” LOLLLL

so funny that it’s only NOW that they’re getting french hoods of some kind, but not with actual veils because, like i said, only old dowdy matrons don’t get to show their sexy hair

WHAAAAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

i mean, i’m not surprised, given how much fraham hate anne 

“so, you’re playing anne boleyn. congrats! but you’ll only get, like, one line, and you WILL have to get your tits out”

guys she’s so upset can’t you tell

CH got a taste for holding bows on game of thrones it’s the only thing she’s good at

STELLLAAAAAA

of course meg has to actually fire the cannons rather than just train them on angus and his men, but this is very fun

surprised they didn’t point out that one of scotland’s greatest cannons was called “mons meg”

fuck this nice scene between catherine and lina! she doesn’t deserve your forgiveness lina!!!

i guess catherine’s woke levels need to be maintained by keeping her one black friend who was a slave irl

hahahaha i fucking love her

“i will always be your wife, there is nothing you can do to change that” knock knock it’s the reformation

catherine choosing to leave makes no sense for this show or for the history they’re ~supposed~ to be depicting

“you will never take my place as queen of england” KNOCK KNOCK IT’S THE REFORMATION

catherine is an old lady now so we shall signify this by giving her a gable hood

catherine she just asked if the bird was dead jesus

which it should be by now...it’s been around since like 1510??

ah yes, let’s bring back that other metaphor, the imperialism compass 

if all the disgruntled tories had their way this would be on the end credits of every episode of the crown too

and that’s all folks! let’s all be thankful that this show didn’t submit us to an absolute butchery of catherine’s blackfriars speech

[isadomna]

 CATHERINE OF ARAGON AND MARGARET TUDOR

In June 1513, as soon as her husband set sail for the English port of Calais, from where he was finally to launch his campaign against the French, Catherine of Aragon was to rule in his place or, rather, in his name. Henry VIII had appointed Catherine queen regent, governor and captain general in his absence, little knowing the redoubtable Catherine would oversee the defeat of an enemy of perhaps greater danger to the English throne than was France. The threat came from Scotland, whose King James IV felt more loyalty to the “Auld Alliance” with France than he did to England —despite the fact James’ wife, Margaret Tudor, was Henry’s older sister. The French queen, Anne of Brittany, sent James IV her glove and turquoise ring and asked him to be her champion. The Scottish King decided to invade England. While Catherine remained childless, Margaret Tudor and her infant son James were first in line to the English throne. 

Whilst the army was gathering, the King and Queen of Scotland were at Linlithgow. A pregnant Margaret, apparently racked by nightmarish visions of her husband falling off a precipice or her losing an eye, was said to have begged him not to invade England. He supposedly treated her warning as the stuff of dreams. ‘It is no dream that ye are to fight a mighty people,’ she said, according to the story as it was told more than a century later. Margaret knew those people well, and many of her childhood friends were on the other side. ‘What a folly, what a blindness is it to make this war yours and to quench the fire in your neighbour’s house of France to kindle and burn up your own in Scotland,’ she warned.

Should the letters of the queen of France – a woman twice married (the first half in adultery, the last almost incest) whom ye did never nor shall ever see – prove more powerful with you than the cries of your little son and mine, than the tears, complaints [and] curses of the orphans and widows which ye are to make?

This version of the story, which may well be apocryphal, suggests that if the two sisters-in-law had been left to sort it out there might not have been any bloodshed. ‘If ye will go suffer me to accompany you,’ Margaret begged him.  

It may be my countrymen prove more kind towards me than they will to you, and for my sake yield unto peace. I hear the queen my sister [Catherine] will be with the army in her husband’s absence; if we shall meet, who knows what God by our means may bring to pass.

Catherine and Margaret never had the chance to talk sisterly peace in the dramatic fashion imagined later. Having parted from Margaret Tudor, James crossed the border into Northumberland on 24th August at the head of the greatest army ever gathered in Scotland. Early in September Catherine rode to north with a body of troops variously described as ‘a great power’ or a ‘numerous force’. If Surrey found the Scots too strong for him, he could fall back on this support. If he fought and was beaten, the Scots would still find a powerful army between them and the south. But Queen Catherine’s army did not need to go into combat. Surrey and his men defeated the Scots at Flodden Field. The King of Scotland were killed in the battlefield. The news was brought to Margaret at Linlithgow, the fairy-tale palace James had beautified for her. Margaret was left a widow at the age of 23. 

The island of Great Britain was, temporarily and for the first time, in the hands of two women. Catherine governed England as regent for her husband. It was her task to administer the victory. The newly widowed Margaret ruled in Scotland as protector for her one-year-old son, James V. The infant king had been crowned shortly after his father’s death at what, because of the tears shed for the dead left behind at Flodden, became known as the ‘Mourning Coronation’.

In England, Catherine worked loyally to forward her husband’s plans. Scotland had taken a stunning blow, and there was always a party in Henry’s council, a party with strong backing in the country, which felt that Scotland would be a conquest easier and more valuable than France. This seemed a time to push the northern war home, and make an end of the Scottish menace for ever. But Catherine realized that England could not afford two simultaneous campaigns of conquest. Promptly on the news of Flodden she began to disband the reserve army, and to arrange to decrease Surrey’s. 

Nor was Catherine as hard-hearted in victory as her initial jubilation might have indicated. She sent a message to Margaret, offering her consolation for a husband killed by her own soldiers. ‘The queen of England, for the love she bears the queen of Scots, would gladly send a servant to comfort her,’ it said. Soon one of those forthright friars of whom Catherine was so fond, Friar Langley, was on his way. Catherine continued to oversee negotiations for a truce with the Scots. Neither woman felt much like prolonging their war. The letters exchanged between the two queens looked to a permanent peace.

Catherine’s prompt steps to end the Scottish danger as much as her courage in opposing it showed her complete fitness for the hard task Henry had left in her hands. Henry returned home from France in late October, after taking Tournai, and rode hard to Richmond to see Catherine. There the victorious husband and wife were reunited and, ‘there was such a loving meeting as everyone rejoiced’. Margaret had hoped to build on Catherine’s letter of sympathy, and asked her sister-in-law to put her in her brother’s remembrance, ‘that his kindness may be known to our lieges and realm’.  But as Henry took charge of the follow up to Flodden, Scotland’s agony continued. His captains were ordered to strike again and again north of the border, burning corn and destroying villages. It was February 1514 before he decided they had been punished enough and a treaty was signed.  

  Sources:

Giles Tremlett,  CATHERINE OF ARAGON Henry’s Spanish Queen

Garrett Mattingly, Catherine Of Aragon

https://tudortimes.co.uk/people/margaret-tudor-life-story/flodden-and-its-aftermath

https://tudortimes.co.uk/guest-articles/margaret-tudor-and-the-battle-of-flodden/the-final-victory

https://www.historynet.com/henry-viiis-war-games.htm

[nosferatvpussy]

distorted lullabies [chapter VII]

Word count:  6,292

Warnings: vulgar language 

Pairing: Dracula x female reader

AO3 link

A/N:  I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope you do too while reading it. Side note 1: I reference a few movies here and there. I would advise you skipping one or two paragraphs to avoid spoilers if you still mean to watch it. But, I'm assuming everyone reading this has seen it already. Site note 2: Anne Rice will find a way to sue me if this somehow finds its way to her (it won't, who do I think I am) Side note 3: if you haven't yet, watch every movie and read every book mentioned here. They're all great.

____________________________________________________________

I had a huge grin on my face as I left the courtroom. My client grabbed my arm and shook it, chuckling. 

“You won!” she squealed. 

“ We won,” I corrected. I stopped walking and faced Mirriam. Her make-up was smudged beneath her watery eyes and her lips were quivering. “I’m happy for you.”

She pulled me into a hug, knocking the breath out of me. Both my hands were occupied, carrying my briefcase and purse so, I had no choice but to stand there, unable to hug her back. Mirriam sobbed, her arms tightening about my neck ever so slightly as she thanked me. Over her shoulder, I saw Judge Llewellyn leave the courtroom, still dressed in his robes. He looked at us, the perpetual crease between his eyebrow softening. Mirriam exclaimed and released me abruptly. The squeals of happy children echoed down the hall and I turned to see Mirriam make a run for the two kids sprinting towards her. 

“Congratulations, Miss L/N,” said Llewellyn. I turned my head to see him standing at my side. “You did well.”

“Can you repeat that, please? I didn’t quite catch it,” I said, grinning from ear to ear. 

His lips tugged up as he glanced away. When he looked at me again his face was serious.

“Don’t try your luck,” he extended a hand toward me. “I’m looking forward to seeing you at practice in my court again.”

Any moment now my cheeks would tear from smiling so much. I let go of my purse, not caring that it almost tipped over, and shook his hand. Although his fingers were long and bony, his handshake was firm.

“Thank you, my lord.”

He nodded and made his way to the opposite direction, presumably towards the judges’ chambers. I watched him go, his robes swaying after him and then turned the other way, taking in Mirriam on her knees, laughing at whatever her children had said. Yeah, I did well. As I picked up my purse, I felt it vibrating. I stuck a hand inside it, searching for my phone as I made my way out of the Royal Courts of Justice.

“Hi, Zoe.”

“Any news?” She asked on the other end. 

“None.”

“It’s been over a week since he took you out. Shouldn’t he have called you?”

“Maybe he’s lost interest,” I countered, frowning at the twinge on my chest. 

Out in the open, I lowered my head to protect myself against the drizzle as I walked.

“That’s absurd. He wouldn’t go to all the trouble of bribing someone--”

“I still regret telling you that.”

“Nevermind who he is, that was impressive.”

An outsider could hear our conversation and think we were complaining about some guy giving me the cold shoulder, not plotting against a five centuries old vampire.

“Zoe, I don’t care why he hasn’t called as long as he leaves me alone. Maybe he met someone else,” as I talked, I managed to make eye contact with a cabbie inside a passing taxi and nodded. “I saw you two days ago. I’ll call if anything changes. When do you want to meet again?”

“Let’s make it Sunday. It’ll be the fourth set of samples and I want to keep the every 2 days pattern we’ve got going on until your bite fully heals.”

The taxi stopped next to me and I juggled all my stuff in order to open the door. I glared at the cabbie, hoping that he would be moved by my anger and help me open the door. I could be Queen Elizabeth and he wouldn’t care. 

“Fine,” I said as I managed to open the car door and get inside. “61 Marney Road,” I told the cabbie and he accelerated. “St Thomas Hospital again?” I asked Zoe.

“Yes. 11am. Call me if Dracula--”

“I know, I know. Bye.” I ended the call before she could keep talking. 

Once I settled my belongings next to me and made myself comfortable, I leaned my head on the window, watching as London’s lights started coming to life in the nearing dusk. Getting complimented by Judge Llewellyn deserved to be celebrated. A good film accompanied by popcorn and lots of chocolate appealed to my body overridden by PMS. Add an hour in a hot bath and then I would have the perfect Friday night. How would Count Dracula spend his Friday night? 

I lowered my shirt’s high collar and touched the scar on my neck. It was nothing more than small scabs now that the bruises were gone but I still wore turtlenecks to conceal the strangulation marks. I hadn’t felt the tingling sensation on it ever since my date with the Count and I wondered if it would react at all to him now that it was almost healed. 

“Miss, you alright?”

I removed my hand from my neck like I had been burned. 

“What?” 

“Are you feeling alright? It sounded like you were out of breath,” he spoke the same way someone would if they were addressing an elderly person.

My entire face went hot and I thanked him silently for not being one those cabbies that always had the rear view mirror turned to the back seats in order to watch the passengers. 

“I have, uh, asthma,” I shut my eyes as I spoke, overcome by embarrassment. “But I’m fine now.”

Had I gone mental? Rubbing my scar to test if it was still reactive to touch in the back of a taxi was just plain stupid, especially considering that I’d gotten so utterly lost in pleasure that I had been panting loud enough for the cabbie to hear me. 

“Tragic, innit?” 

That my bond to Count Dracula paired with PMS had made me become a dog in heat? Yes.

“Sorry, what?”

The cabbie leaned forward and a second later the whispering voices coming from the car speakers raised to an understandable volume. 

“ Surrey police has no leads so far ,” was all I heard from the narrator before a song started playing.

“What happened?”

“Two students were found dead this morning in Surrey University. Bright youngins, can you imagine what they could--”

I straightened on my seat.

“Murders?”

“Makes no sense, how brutal. Police says it appears they were having a movie night--”

“How were they killed?” 

The cabbie took hold of the rear view mirror and angled it at me. I smiled dryly at his frown.

“Professional curiosity,” I told him. “I’m a defense lawyer.”

That answer did nothing to soothe the crease on his large forehead.

“Police isn’t sure yet. But I heard from a pal from Surrey,” he lowered his voice, like he was confiding in me, “that the person that found ‘em threw up and so did a coppa. Looked like a scene straight from The Shining, I bet. Nasty stuff.”

I nodded, relaxing against the window again. Taking he referenced The Shining, that probably meant that there was a lot blood. Dracula wouldn’t waste a drop, I supposed. Odd horrific murders came about once in a while, sadly, and all of them committed by humans. Besides, would he really go all the way to Surrey just to murder a bunch of uni students? London was stacked with several student halls for him to pick from without the trouble of traveling across counties.

“First what happened at that company and then this… This is a bad, bad week. My gran used to say that everything comes in threes. I assure ya, miss, there’s more-”

“Which company? What are you talking about?”

“Ya haven’t heard?” he questioned, glancing at me through the mirror. “Why, miss. Two nights ago the, whaddyacallit, the big corporate cunts in charge of a company- oh, excuse my mouth, miss-”

“The board of directors?”

“Yeah, those blokes. Murdered, the whole lot of ‘em, inside a meeting room!” he started whispering again. 

“Was this here in London?”

“Central London,” he nodded.  “Can’t remember the name of the company, now-”

“Like the murders in Surrey? Bloody?”

“Nah, don’t think there’s been news about that. Cameras were dead, caught nothing of it. They were found by security at almost midnight after a wife of one of ‘em called looking for her husband.”

“Cause of death?” I asked and he looked at me. “Just answer the question.”

“Stab wounds to the neck, all of ‘em. Apparently some of them put up a fight because there were broken arms and fingers. Scotland Yard said that it’s prolly more than one murderer, other than that they’ve been quiet about it… They’re investigating it,” he made air quotes, “that’s code for we don’t know shite.”

He continued ranting for the rest of the trip but I wasn’t listening anymore. I doubted that Netflix would be able to salvage my mood after that conversation.

Once I paid the cabbie, I bid him a nice weekend and jumped out of the taxi. Compared to how he had barely cared about my struggle to get in the taxi, he was nice enough to wait until I got my door opened. Now that the night had come, the automatic light above my front door had turned on and I could only make out the shape of his hand waving at me from inside the car. I waved back as a thanks before going inside. 

I went straight upstairs after I locked the door. With how wired I was, I forgot all about my intentions of taking a bath and took a shower instead. Considering I was humming a tune to myself after thirty minutes under a steady stream of hot water, I was making a quick recovery. I was still singing when I turned off the shower and wrapped a towel about my body. I opened the door, tendrils of steam spilling from my bathroom into my bedroom.

“Ohmygod!”

Count Dracula grinned at me, lying on the middle of my bed with both arms folded beneath his head. I pressed the towel to myself, desperately seeking more cover. 

“I was starting to wonder if you would ever come out of there.”

“I wish I hadn’t!” I exclaimed. “I locked my door! How the hell did you get in?!”

“Window." He pointed one long finger at it.

Deadbolts. I’d have to get deadbolts on every single window in my house.

“Couldn’t you have texted in advance?!”

“I did. You didn’t reply.”

I stared at him, waiting for something else to come out of his mouth. Instead, his gaze slid down my body, a crease appearing between his eyebrows as he inhaled sharply. I knew exactly why he was whiffing the air. Thank God my body was flushed from the hot shower, otherwise I would have gone bright red in anger.

“Ugh, leave!” I said, projecting my voice like I was in court. 

I stretched an arm out, pointing at the window. The sudden movement almost caused the towel to open and I immediately took hold of it again with a little squeak. Count Dracula was up at once, circling the bed towards me. I gulped. His gaze pulled me in and for a moment my anger sizzled down.

“I’ve missed you,” he said and a shiver went down my spine.

I stepped back into the bathroom to put some distance between us.

“Too bad, go away.”

A smirk tugged the corner of his lips. 

“You’ve missed me, too.”

“Absolutely did not.”

“Your heartbeat says otherwise.”

“It’s called anger.”

He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“‘I’ll go wait downstairs,” he said before turning away from me and slipping out of my bedroom. 

My knees almost gave out when he left and I rushed to sit on the edge of the bed. I held my head as I tried to concentrate and take deep breaths. Had he stayed any longer I wouldn’t put it past me to lock myself in the bathroom and remain there until morning. Not only I had to deal with him, I also could feel cramps coming. I wanted nothing more to curl up in bed with a heat compress and chocolate. Summoning my courage, I got up and went to get dressed. 

As I went down the stairs, Dracula peeked his head out from the living room.

“You’re going out in your nightgown?”

I stopped for a second, frowning and then continued down.

“I’m not going out. I’m tired and uncomfortable and I’m staying home,” I forced a smile, batting my eyelashes just to annoy him. I rounded the staircase, giving my back to him and heading for the kitchen. “I do hope you haven’t wasted your money bribing someone else to grant us entrance to another museum.”

I swiped at the switch and soft lights came on over the kitchen island and at the corners of the room. 

“I haven’t. There’s no problem in postponing tonight’s date.”

I turned around to see him standing on the other side of the island, staring at me.

“You’re not leaving, are you?”

“No.” He smiled. “Like I said, I’ve missed you.”

I leaned down and opened the cabinet under the sink. I pushed a set of pans to the side, looking for my heat pad.

“Been busy for this past week?” I asked, my voice echoing inside the cabinet. 

“Unfortunately.”

I found the heat pad and stood up, closing the cabinet door after me as I put it inside the microwave and set 5 minutes. I turned to face him, propping my hips on the kitchen counter. I pulled on my courtroom face. If Count Dracula squinting at me meant that he saw me do it, then I needed to work more on my tells. 

“Reading Jules Verne or killing a board of directors?”

One of his eyes twitched before he smiled.

“Both. Although I haven’t finished the book yet.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Not finish the book?”

“Dracula-”

“I was bored." He waved his hands on the air, dismissing my hard stare. “Please, I did the world a service! Yes, I went after them on a whim but as soon as I drank from one of them… I killed them on principle.”

“Principle? You’ve got that?”

“Is it that hard to believe?” He put his hands on top of the island and leaned forward, the light above his head creating shadows on his face. “The first one I bit was a child abuser. It was in his blood so, forgive me if killing him offends you. I broke his neck because I didn’t have a stomach for him. The rest of them… were palate cleansers. Although it didn’t do much good. Incredible how many of them had raped women and beat their wives.”

We stared at each other, frozen in place.

All my anger from before vanished and I had to struggle to keep my courtroom face on. In another world, one where there was no law binding me, I would have done the same. Was this the good in him I had been searching, however twisted it was?

The microwave chimed, prompting me to blink and break eye contact.

“I hope you hid at least some of the evidence,” I said, pushing back from the kitchen counter. “I’m not sure how representing a vampire in court for murder would look on my resumé.”

“No need to worry.” He grinned.

I grabbed the heat pad from the microwave, juggling it between my hands to avoid getting burnt until I dropped it to the counter. 

“What about the students in Surrey?”

“Surrey? No, I haven’t been there.” 

I nodded, somewhat relieved. I turned my back on Dracula to conceal my face as I broke the façade. He wasn’t responsible for the murders on Surrey as I suspected but after killing those ‘corporate cunts’, as the cabbie had put so appropriately, he probably went somewhere else to find another palate cleanser. Somebody else was dead because of him but for the life of me I couldn’t find something inside me to care enough. He had indeed done the world a service. 

I rounded the island, past the Count so I could reach the pantry. From there I took popcorn and a bar of chocolate I had hidden, from myself, behind a set of spices. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time I moved and I fought the urge to steal a glance of his face to try figure out what was on his mind. 

“I’m surprised you made an appearance,” I said in the unnerving silence. 

“Are you, really?”

“Yes.” Hugging the popcorn and chocolate to my chest, I moved past him, congratulating myself for not looking at him. “No, actually. I was fairly positive you would come looking for me again, much to my dismay.” I chuckled. “One would think what happened at the museum would encourage you.”

My back burnt with the weight of his gaze. I started tearing the popcorn package frantically, making as much noise as possible to distract me. It was almost working but after I put the popcorn inside the microwave and closed it, I saw his reflection on the microwave mirrored door, moving towards me. 

“It’s not very nice to sneak up on people,” I said, holding my ground.

He met my eyes through the reflection. 

“I’m not nice.”

He had a reflection. I blinked, turning at once to face him. He was directly behind me, less than an arm’s length.

“You can be.”

“Do you want me to be nice?”

“No. It makes it harder to hate you.”

He smiled. 

“I believed that for a second, really did. Especially when I found out that you had been asking our dear friend Renfield about me.”

I gulped.

“He wasn’t very forthcoming, if that makes you feel better,” I said and he chuckled but when his face grew serious again, I wondered if he forced that laugh. “Is that why you disappeared? Because Renfield gossiped about me to you?”

“Amongst other things,” he acquiesced, stepping back and supporting his body on the island much like I had done on the counter. 

By his evasive answer, there was more to it but if he didn’t want to tell me it was fine. He had his secrets and I had mine.

“What do you know, boys really do gossip as much ladies do.”

He gave me a lopsided smile, one I judged was genuine, unlike his chuckle before. The microwave beeped again and I inhaled the delicious scent of done popcorn. I retrieved the popcorn with the tips of my fingers. I placed it briefly on the counter and then offered the heating pad to Count Dracula.

“Take this for me, will you?” I said and he did. I grabbed a glass of juice for me and then the popcorn and chocolate. “Come on. We’re watching a film.”

Count Dracula followed me into the living room. As I settled myself on the sofa, he gave me the heat pad and then occupied himself with analysing my library. Library was a kind word. It would take up the entire wall behind the telly if the fireplace had not been there. I wouldn’t say it was an impressive collection to a connoisseur but it was my collection and I had love for every single book in it, even the ones I didn’t like very much. Count Dracula had his hands laced behind his back and his head tilted as he admired it. I stopped myself from turning the telly on when I heard him whispering the titles to himself.

“Oh, would you look at that ?” He stepped forward and reached for the second to last row of books closest to the ceiling. I usually had to climb on the armchair to reach that far up but all he did was extend his arm up and pluck a book from up there. He turned around, showing me the gold cover with white and red lettering between his hands. “A vampire book?”

Of course he would find that. At least I should be thankful he didn’t find Story of O or Venus in Furs. If he had and then decided to flip through the pages, I would be doomed.

“Be very careful with that,” I warned. “It’s first edition and it was a gift. It’s sort of a classic.”

“Really?” he grinned, tipping his head up to the row from where he retrieved it from. “Are all of those classics?”

“Anne Rice might say so but the rest of the world wouldn’t,” I scoffed. He looked at me. “She thinks very highly of herself.”

“We would probably get along wonderfully,” he smirked. “Perhaps I should pay her a visit to give her real inspiration.”

“She’s an old woman now and would die of excitement if you actually visited her,” I laughed. “There’s a film for this one,” I pointed at the book in his hands. There was gleam in his dark eyes. “Do you want to watch it?”

“You’ve seen it already,” he said as he placed the book on the shelf. 

“Yes but I can’t deny myself the irony of watching a vampire film with a real vampire,” I said, grabbing the remote control and turning on the TV. “We’ll watch this one and then you can choose the next one.”

I gazed up at him, waiting for an answer. He traced his tongue inside his lower lip, giving my body all sorts of ideas my brain was not agreeable with. My hand tightened around the remote. Count Dracula took off his blazer and threw it on the armchair beneath the window. I almost asked him if all his shirts were missing buttons because the top ones were undone like the last time I’d seen him but then he started undoing his belt. Popcorn spilled on my lap.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I exclaimed.

“Getting comfortable,” he replied with a frown, like I was ridiculous for asking. He rolled the belt around his fingers and then placed it neatly on top of the fireplace. “Like you are,” he gestured at me.

I was sunken back on the sofa between pillows and cushions, with my feet on the coffee table and popcorn all over my nightie. Technically speaking, I was indeed comfortable, especially because of the heating pad on my lower abdomen relieving menstrual cramps. I was less comfortable with Dracula undressing in front of me while my body was working against me in every way possible.

“Fine,” I said between gritted teeth. My eyes widened as he started moving towards me. “W-wait, no, no, no, you’re sitting over there.”

His smirk widened into a full grin as he sat by my side, letting out an exaggerated breath, he kicked off his shoes and stretched himself in the same position as me. 

“What happened to personal space?”

“I thought we’d gone past that already,” he raised his thick eyebrows. 

I clenched my jaw. His gaze fell on my neck. All he would need to do was lean to sink his teeth in me, if he wanted. His lips parted and I was reminded of their softness when he had kissed me.

“Stop it,” I all but whispered. 

“I’m not doing anything,” he said, eyes fixated on my neck.

“You know exactly what you’re doing.” I started picking off popcorn from my lap, hoping that would show him that he wasn’t affecting me. “Let’s just watch the film.”

I endured his stare as I clicked on the remote to bring up Netflix and started searching the catalogue for Interview with the Vampire. He decided to focus on the telly once Louis started talking to Daniel. As the film went on, he laughed with Lestat and cursed at Louis constantly for his sentiment. More than once, Count Dracula was literally at the edge of his seat. He nodded approvingly at Claudia at times and at Lestat’s flare for the dramatics, making his critiques here and there about how Anne Rice had gotten it right or wrong.

“That’s Haydn,” Dracula said, eyes glued to the screen as a corpse-like Lestat played the piano and Louis and Claudia watched in horror.

“Good ear,” I commented. “Not that I’m an expert but it took me a few google searches to find out where this piece was from.”

“Good appetite,” he countered without looking at me, raising his forefinger.

I paused the film and he turned to me with an indignant look on his face.

“You ate Haydn?”

He grimaced.

“Ate is a poor term.”

“You did!” I accused, mouth falling open. “Who else?”

“I didn’t kill Haydn, that would be outrageous. I would have deprived the world of Mozart and Beethoven. I just stole a few sips to understand his genius. Chopin, however, I did kill. He was a prick, and so was Mozart. Bach, too, was unbearable but I didn’t get the chance to off him,” he shrugged. “Paganini was a riot, though. I tried turning him but he was committed already to a long time friend, you could say.”

I stared at him for a long moment. I didn’t know where to start but him saying that about Paganini, very subtly, confirmed people’s suspicion at the time that the man had made a pact with the Devil to have been that good. Finding myself unable to form another coherent thought faced with that, I simply pressed play again.

The film was doing a fantastic job of keeping the Count’s attention and I started relaxing because I didn’t have to be on guard, even if he was laying by my side. That is, until we reached the scene on a theatre where Armand drinks from a woman on stage in front of unsuspecting humans. My heart had begun hammering inside my chest as soon as Louis and Claudia stepped inside the theatre because I knew what was coming. 

Though I kept my eyes on the screen, I was suddenly hyper aware of how close I was to Count Dracula. An entire side of my body touched his, down to where my leg ended. Had I grown that comfortable and not noticed it? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Count Dracula swiveling his head to stare at me. 

“You’re missing the film,” I told him, jamming popcorn in my mouth to keep myself busy.

“Your pulse is more interesting right now,” his words tickled my shoulder. 

I snuck a glance at him. His eyes were still bottomless pools of black. The heat in his eyes was just as worrying if his eyes had been red.

“Don’t,” I warned.

The human girl was on stage now, screaming and begging for mercy. Soft, cold lips touched my shoulder and I swallowed dryly. Another kiss marked his path up.  I forgot how to move, caught in the rapture of his touch. I could have at least this. Nevermind that I was being touched by the man who meant to steal my life. My chest heaved as his kisses became sloppier, less sweet. My entire body shuddered in anticipation as a kiss landed on the curve of my neck. 

“I--”

A hand delved into my hair with a demanding tug and I shut up. The popcorn bag crumpled between my hands. Armand was on stage with the woman, hugging her and providing comfort before her death.

“Say it,” his lips brushed my ear.

“I won’t.”

His lips brushed my scar and I released a shaky breath. His mouth descended on my neck and a cry tore out of me upon feeling him sucking on my skin. Another hand laid on my chest, creeping slowly towards the shoulder strap of my nightie. I closed my eyes, letting myself be consumed by pleasure and forgetting every reason why we shouldn’t do this.

“Be mine,” his words were muffled as he continued his assault on my neck.

Sharp teeth grazed my skin. 

This couldn’t happen, not if I wanted to live. The minute he bit me he would know about my plan. I had to summon every ounce of control on my body to resist the sensuous ripple of pleasure coursing my body. I dodged his hands and shot up to my feet. Dracula caught himself on his elbow before he fell between the cushions. His eyes were still every bit as dark as before but his mass of hair was tousled, as mine probably was.

“I think--” I took a breath. “I think you should leave.”

He sat up and I noticed that another button on his shirt had come undone, revealing more of his chest than I had seen before. I didn’t dare look any lower. I almost cried in frustration. My body demanded him despite the fact that giving myself to him meant danger.

“I want to finish watching the film,” he said, gazing up at me as he buttoned his shirt again.

“I’m sure you’ve got Netflix at your place.”

“I do but I don’t have the pleasure of your company there.”

“Dracula--”

“I’ll behave if you do,” he put his legs on the coffee table again but I didn’t fall for it. No way I was looking below his waistline. “ Promise .”

Would I make it if I ran upstairs to my room? But what use would it be if he could simply climb through my window? I wasn’t ten years old anymore to run away from my fears, hoping they would disappear if I didn’t acknowledge them. Then again, Dracula wasn’t the monster under my bed. He was more likely to be the one on top of it. Jesus, focus! Mind over matter, come on. Up until that point he was being good company. If he was toying with my self control or not, I wasn’t sure. Besides, I couldn’t push the man away any time he made me nervous. I needed to lead him on until Zoe and I found a breach.

“I’ll hold you to that promise. You stay there,” I pointed a finger at him. “I’ll sit over there.”

Grabbing the remote and the bar of chocolate, I tiptoed my way between the remains of my popcorn and curled myself up on the armchair. I started unpacking the chocolate, doing my best to keep my eyes on the telly. Louis and Claudia were now below the theatre, in Armand’s chambers.

Feeling the Count’s gaze on me, I said, “Are you watching the bloody film or not? Because I think I would rather watch something else now.”

After I started chomping at the chocolate bar like there was no tomorrow, Dracula paid attention to the telly. I managed to breathe normally again once he seemed to be engrossed by the film and made conversation about what was going on, like we had been doing before. He celebrated Louis’ revenge by clapping at him and I laughed at the joy on his face as Lestat popped up from the backseat of Daniel’s car and bit him. I mouthed the words to Sympathy for the Devil as the credits rolled and Dracula stayed with his eyes glued to the screen.

“I must talk to this Anne Rice woman,” he muttered.

I chuckled.

“Leave her alone. She hasn’t completed the series yet and I need to know how much dumber Lestat can get in the next book.”

“He’s not dumb,” Dracula said, frowning at me.

I chuckled again. God, he’d grown attached to him.

“You haven’t read the books yet. You might loathe him as much as you did Louis if you read them.”

He groaned.

“Let’s watch another one.”

“Another vampire film?”

“Yes.”

“Narcissist,” I accused and he smiled. 

After searching through the Netflix catalogue, I found a vampire film that didn’t seem so ridiculous called Byzantium. It seemed like a better alternative than Lost Boys or Fright Night. I could just imagine his outrage at Twilight so I spared him of that, too. Twenty minutes later, however, Dracula was rolling his eyes at the TV and asking for the remote. He chose Silence of the Lambs and I thanked the heavens for it. I wouldn’t be able to sit through another sexy movie with him.

“He’s a great actor,” I commented as Dr Lecter and Clarice talked through the glass prison. 

“How many times have you watched it? You quoted that to me before, word for word of what he just said.”

I shrugged. 

“An unhealthy amount of times,” I admitted. He looked at me. “It won four Oscars, c’mon. It’s fantastic.”

I refused to tell him the reason I loved it so much was because of Hannibal Lecter. The Oscars excuse was better. We didn’t say much after that, that’s how fascinated Dracula was. Afterwards, he chose Crimson Peak, at last, one I hadn’t seen. Resting my head on the armchair and using Dracula’s blazer as a blanket, I closed my eyes for a brief moment when Edith met Thomas. 

Sleep’s warm embrace had me floating and I sighed happily. Something hard and cold pressed at my cheek, making my eyes flutter open. Dracula’s face hovered above mine. I wasn’t floating, if his arms around me and his hard chest on my cheek meant anything. My heart hurt like someone had squeezed it.

“I’m just putting you to bed,” he said in a low voice, sparing me a glance.

I was too tired to argue with him and simply rested my head on his chest again.

“You’re cold,” I complained, holding onto his blazer.

“I’m sorry.” 

The harsh lights of the telly made me squint at it with drowsy eyes. Rachel Weisz was on the screen now and I frowned, trying to remember if she appeared in Crimson Peak. Had he started another movie?

“Did the sleep- huh.” I furrowed my brows and tried again, “did I the movie- no,” I sighed.

Hearing his laugh inside his chest made me smile sleepily. 

“You slept little more than 2 hours,” he replied, maneuvering me out of the living room.

“You understood,” a yawn, “what I said,” I giggled and patted his chest. “Well done.”

He flashed me an amused smile before looking ahead again. I wrapped my arms around him when he started going up the stairs, afraid that I would fall. I tried listening to his heartbeat - something I enjoyed doing to people whenever I had chance - but there was no sound coming from his chest. Oddly, that was just as comforting as not hearing soft thump-thumps. But maybe that was just my sleep-addled brain.

“Tell me what happens in Croms- ah, whatever, in the film.” I frowned, mad at how stupid I sounded when I was sleepy. 

He laughed again.

“A lot.”

I rolled my eyes before surrendering to my heavy eyelids and closing them. 

“Be nice, tell me,” I mumbled.

“I thought you didn’t want me to be nice.”

“Right now, I do.”

He started telling me but the rumble of his voice coming from inside his chest, so close to my ear, made me drift back to sleep again. I woke up when he was laying me down on my bed. The bedside lamp made me squint. He set me in the very middle of the bed and perched next to me. I rolled on my side to face him and fluffed the pillow below my head, hiding my face from the light.

“So Edith and Thomas got married, huh?” I asked.

“You got nothing of what I just told you.”

“Not a word." I shook my head lightly.

He pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen on my face and his fingers hovered over me for a moment before caressing my temple.

“You were married,” I blurted. He dropped his hand and frowned. “When you were human. Weren’t you?”

“What does it matter?” He went to get up but I grabbed his wrist.

He glared at my hand.

“It was just a question,” I told him. “Don’t be mad. We bicker all the time, already.” I raised my eyebrows at him. His gaze fell on mine, indecipherable. “We don’t have to talk about her. Forget I said it.”

For a second I thought he would storm off. Dracula looked out the window, staring into the night. I waited for him to say something, waited until sleep started creeping again. My fingers slid down his wrist, resting on the back of his hand. 

“She was nothing like you.”

My eyes fluttered open. He was still staring into the dark. I had to choose my words carefully if I wanted him to keep talking. 

“How was she like?”

“Fragile and fearful of… everything. Deeply religious and foolish, at times. She smiled whenever she looked at me, even when I had done horrible things. In her mind, all that I did was in the name of God. There was this one time when I came from battle and I had blood on my face and armour-" he stopped, shoulders sloping and then stiffening "-she kissed me.”

“She wasn’t that fragile, then.”

He scoffed.

“I suppose not,” he conceded.

“Did you love her?”

“More than I thought I was capable.”

I had a feeling I knew the answer to my next question but asked it anyway.

“What happened to her?”

Finally, he turned his head to look at me. For the first time I saw a semblance of real emotion in his eyes and it broke my heart.

“I happened to her.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and took a breath to ask more but he stood up, his hand grazing mine briefly. I watched as he closed the curtains and then picked up the duvet at the bottom of my bed, unfurling it on top of me. I retrieved his blazer from beneath the covers and handed it to him. When he met my eyes again, his expression was devoid of all emotion. His hand reached behind me and turned off the bedside lamp, plunging us into darkness. I couldn’t make out his face anymore.

“Thank you for keeping your promise,” I whispered but I wasn’t sure if he was still in the room to hear me..

.

Taglist: @festering-queen @feralstare @rheabalaur @girlonfireice @dreamer2381 @mr-kisskiss-bangbang @thorin-smokin-shield​ @deborahlazaroff​ @apocalypsenowish​ @a-dorky-book-keeper​ if I forgot to tag anyone, please let me know

[matildastuarts]

&&. announcing her royal highness, ( matilda henrietta annabelle stuart ), the ( 22 ) year old ( princess ) of ( scotland ). she is often confused with ( florence pugh ). some say that she is ( negligent and contrary ), but she is actually ( passionate and individualistic ). ( matilda ) is arranged to marry ( any male fc ). 

...hi....i know i like disappeared and its bc my anxiety was really bad with everything going on in the world and in america and personally that i was so overwhelmed just from any interaction. i just needed a good cleanse (i took a nice cleanse from a lot of social media) but i am back ready to be confused by what i missed.

anyway....tilly. so, essentially she’s the same...BUT she’s more into fashion then just the og mum said she needed a degree. but i’ll get there

the baby stuart...matilda has always been the child full of surprises starting from her birth in the middle of the night on december 19th of 1997. she was a rambunctious child, a social butterfly who craved attention and that never changed. the attention she got from being out of line or too out there felt like the only time she got anyone’s sole attention. so she never stopped. any attention was good attention. first it was just making faces at the paparazzi, then after she was sent to gordonstoun for boarding school the list just grew from uniform issues to sneaking out to underage drinking. 

it was also at gordonstoun that she began her ever toxic relationship with sex and attention. using that she was a princess was one way to get attention, but adding that with the attention she got from men? from being a party girl it started her vicious cycle she would never get back from. the birth of trainwreck tilly.

it surprised everyone when tilly announced to her family before her last year at gordonstoun that she had applied for fashion schools. she’d always been interested in it as a kid. sewing was the only cliché thing of discipline that had been pushed on her that she enjoyed. so after graduating at 17 she moved to london for school. even if she was hungover every morning and getting drunk or high every night, she thrived at fashion school. didn’t necessarily have friends that were in her classes, everyone assumed it was just nepotism. she made her own little circle, mostly with plenty of influencers that she just publicly got trashed with every night and being photographed doing it.

this last year for her was a wake up call she truly refused to listen to. graduating fashion school and heading straight to join her family with everyone. it didn’t work out for her, she was reckless as always and a little too reckless at that. a pregnancy she had to end, a failed forced engagement, she just wanted the life she had in her little flat in london where she lived like she wasn’t a princess. so she did. she managed to get a job as a associate designer at ralph & russo, with only a tiny bit of nepotism included, tilly moved back. even i everyone around her couldn’t possibly understand why she wanted to work. 

still she enjoyed it, she was happy keeping up her personal relationships over facetime and spending hours in a studio only to turn around and go to a club. that was until queen mary, mother dearest, demanded she go back for her safety. which as always led to another explosive fight that tilly couldn’t win against her monarch of a mother. so she once again packed up her things, told her team to pack up their things and headed to join her sisters.

her relationship with her parents has never not been strained, matilda always seemed to ruin the perfect image of the royal family even from a child if just by putting on a show for the paparazzi. but they wanted her, and she liked that. her sisters on the other hand, it’s complicated. she’s closer to margot than catherine if only because of their age. tilly knows she can’t live up to either of her sisters though. everything she’s ever done has been compared to catherine and margot. even despite that and the sometimes ardent fights, tilly would do anything for her sisters. the only person she loves more than her sisters in her family is dowager queen anne, her grandmother. in an odd twist, matilda is closest to her grandmother, despite her rejection of any sort of rule pushed on her, if grandma anne asks her to do it she will. 

i’ll probably tweak her timeline and repost it soon which rlly gets into her psyche. however this is who she is right now...still. important things about tilly that i need people to know

has flashed the paparazzi 

100% has done both the wap dance and the 34+35 one on tiktok r u kidding me

social media queen she said “u can make me official accounts but im not privating my personal ones.”

bisexual doesn’t label it though, she just does not discriminate off who she wants to sleep with. 

excellent cookie making skills

surprised by how much she feels things

love language is touch. 

influencer type but thinks la is for trashy people. 

u have to have permission to call her matilda if its not the first time addressing her. 

only family can call her maude

i know there’s more i just can’t think of it anyway here are some connection ideas: 

friends

she’s very social but she is also and AWFUL friend. would sleep w/ ur boyfriend bc she barely recognizes love but does understand jealousy. 

fwb

this 1 is obvious

frenemies?

she’s not one to make enemies on purpose but she does on accident ie...shes an awful friend

someone who is the line w/o a hook

listen i have always thought it would be funny for someone to be totally in love w/ tilly but shes not there w/ them has only ever slept w/ them and is like....why are u staring at me like that

more i’m sure of it but like many things just have to be sorted out because of everyone’s backgrounds and connections to her sisters etc.

....i think i’m done now like this or dm me and we will plot ok?

[minervacasterly]

First Protestant King of England, Henry VIII or Edward VI? (And why Edward VI's reign was no less important than his father's)

It is important to dispell myths about the most popular English dynasty, so I decided to briefly take on this topic. A common misconception until recent decades is that Henry VIII was the first Protestant King. In reality, it was his son who was the first true Protestant King of England. I’ve written about this before on my blog, building upon the research by great scholars like Chris Skidmore, Loach, and the short introduction to his reign by Kyra Cornelius Kramer. Besides taking after his father in intellect, Edward VI was fairly concerned with the state of the church of England but unlike his old man, he thought that the time had come to make it into the first true Protestant church of England, agreeing to the issuing of the book of common prayer and a revision of it two years later. Edward VI also frowned upon improper clothing. He loved to dance and watch sports, but didn’t think t0 was a good idea to indulge in these frivolities since the Evangelicals believed that this was a gateway to moral decay. (Don’t you just love those who interpret the will of god so good, that they conveniently forget about the passages where their savior rails against the rich and so on?) Edward’s actions had consequences and these, like the contributions of his reign, are often brushed aside in favor of his more famous father and sisters. One of them, was a rebellion in the North and his half-sister’s resistance to his new laws that forbade people to hear the Mass and forced the new English service on everyone. Long story short … lots of people hung, punished and lots of enemies that his councilors (who as always since people couldn’t point fingers at the king unless they had a sick death wish of some sort) were blamed and were punished for during his half-sister’s reign. Some of you might be pointing out that since Henry VIII was excommunicated and labeled a heretic by most of Christendom, that technically he was a Protestant king but no, seriously, he wasn’t. Henry was, despite these labels, still a practicing Catholic. He agreed to Gardiner’s articles of faith that criticized the church and validated his claim as supreme head of the Anglican Church, and God’s representative on Earth, and surrounded himself by obvious Reformists, but other than that, he forcefully kept everyone in line. Catholics who practiced the Mass or adhered to his new rules while still being loyal to their beliefs were tolerated, but if they pulled a ‘Thomas More’ where they denied the king’s supremacy or insulted one of his beloved wives (before he got tired of them, that is) then yes, off to the block with them!

As for Protestants … Ever heard of Anne Askew? She defended Henry’s actions, she thought he was some kind of Moses as his last wife -Kathryn Parr whom she was closely associated with- would paint him as in her two books (primarily in ‘Lamentations of a Sinner’) and then she defied her husband and Henry’s establishment, pushing for a more Evangelist agenda, and what happened? Oh nothing big … she just got tortured and then burned. As long as you played Henry’s sycophant you were fine. There is also a spiritual aspect that ties into his megalomania. As Henry became more obsessed with securing his dynasty, his focus on spiritual matters also grew. By the end of his reign, nobody could predict what the king would say or how he would act so everyone walked a fine line when they discussed important subjects. Kathryn Parr is one of them who learned this lesson early on during their marriage. If it weren’t for gentleness, and the friendship she established among prominent ladies in her household, her accusers would’ve succeeded in convincing Henry VIII that she was a heretic. She would’ve had a sham trial like Anne Boleyn and then beheaded or worse, burned like Anne Aske. Luckily for Kathryn Parr, she was one step ahead of them. Humbling herself before her lord and husband, she told him that she never intended to change his religious views but just challenged him as people did at the beginning of his reign, so he could stir her towards the right path since she was a woman and these things were too complicated for her to fathom, let alone choose on her own. She lived and continued to be a major influence on future Protestant leaders, such as Jane Grey, Elizabeth I and of course, Edward VI.

Edward VI was greatly influenced by his beloved stepmother’s religiosity and mourned her deeply. He referred to her as his mother. Kathryn encouraged his passion for books and aided his Protestant tutors in stirring him towards their faith, ensuring that he’d become the king they’d all be waiting for, that would transform England into a fully Protestant nation.

It was Edward who began to force religious codes on his people in a way that hadn’t been done before. His father cracked on religious houses on the basis of cleansing them from corruption and because of their disloyalty, and open defiance against his supremacy; but Edward made things worse. The monasteries that were sold to his father’s noblemen left many people begging on the streets while forcing others to adapt to their new environment. When people could no longer handle it, they rose up in open rebellion and like in his father’s time, these were brutally squashed. But here is where it gets interesting … Whereas Henry VIII is blamed for all the evils of his reign, Edward VI is not and the reason for this? He was a kid, don’t be so mean. Leave the poor tot alone. Fact: Edward VI died at the age of fifteen and by renaissance standards, he was not a little boy anymore. Even if he hadn’t come of age, he was not an innocent boy anymore who was oblivious to the world around him. In fact. When Edward VI found out that his uncle had been executed, he was like ‘meh … okay’. And sure, Thomas Seymour was a brash individual who thought he could get away with everything but even after he tried to kidnap his nephew, to act in such a manner and for an uncle who was married to your favorite stepmother and someone you claimed to be your favorite relative, that’s pretty cold. But it gets better. After Edward VI finally got rid of his tedious uncle and his irritating set of rules, Edward wrote in his diary (showing no emotion at all) that the former lord Protector died and that was that. Getting rid of Edward Seymour probably made the little critter sigh in relief because out of all his uncles, the Lord Protector was the one who always reminded him of his duties and responsibilities, not to mention all those rules and not letting him be king! How unfair! And then there was also that issue about the rebellions. Edward VI saw these people as traitors and agreed with Northumberland that they should be dealt with immediately but his uncle didn’t think that was wise, which was why people called him the ‘good Duke’ because they saw him as a friend of the people. Now that he was out of the way, his kingdom would not have to suffer any more dissenting voices, nor any threats of isolation or future skirmishes with Scotland. Edward VI was fully committed to the Protestant cause but convinced by Northumberland, he realized that he would not go far if he did not have any allies. And the whole campaign in Scotland had gone awfully wrong and with Mary, Queen of Scots in France, the only way to neutralize that threat was making an alliance with that country, betrothing him to Henri II and Catherine de Medici’s daughter, Elizabeth Valois. Sadly, Edward VI did not live to marry her or do more for the Evangelicals. He died and before he did, he wrote a paper called “my device for the succession” which became the basis to disinherit his sisters in favor of their cousin, Jane Grey. That opened a can of worms that could have easily escalated into another civil war like the wars of the roses but thankfully for everyone involved it didn’t and his sister won her crown fair and square. But as with every Tudor, once her sister became Queen, she began to make good use of the propaganda machine to portray her sibling as a puppet of Northumberland and other evil lords who had corrupted him and turned him against her. Why was this done? Same reason why people who rebelled against their kings often pointed their fingers at their councilors -because doing so against an anointed king meant that they were upsetting the natural order. It was only in extreme cases, when someone had enough support and belonged to a different dynasty, that they would point it directly at them. Edward belonged to the same dynasty as Mary, and a dynasty divided was bad business for everyone, especially for the first Queen Regnant of England who had inherited a divided country.

Mary I also did something else and that was appropriating some of Edward VI’s religious achievements in an effort to make Catholicism appealing to those who were still unsure whether or not they wanted to return to the church or side with the various groups within the Protestant movement. Sections from the book of the common prayer were added to a new set of prayers in Latin and English, and adapted in a way that didn’t contradict church doctrine. During his reign, Edward encouraged many poets and artists to express themselves. These would reenact passages from the bible, or create allegorical paintings that depicted Edward as England’s messiah, and all those who followed him as true Christians as opposed to the decadent Catholics who were portrayed as heathens.

Edward’s religious reformation became the basis for Elizabeth I’s reign who continued with many of these reforms. Although she did not go as far as Edward or his chosen heiress, Jane Grey, would have liked. Elizabeth I was far more pragmatic, recognizing that if she wanted to rule over a divided country she had to maintain some of the older traditions or else, she’d risk losing everything she had. Unlike her siblings, Elizabeth I wasn’t thought of as legitimate by many of her Christian peers. Ideological purity was a luxury that she couldn’t afford and in any case, she did not want because many Evangelicals didn’t like the idea of the supremacy of kings (or queens). Nevertheless, Elizabeth I built her religious establishment upon her brother’s by issuing a new revision of the book of common prayer and encouraging artists and poets to create works that extolled the Anglican Church and the Tudor Dynasty.